Special Report: Vaccines

Mothering's Special Report on Vaccines showcases current and past Mothering articles and resources on the topic of vaccine safety and efficacy.

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What the Doctor Isn’t Telling You about Pregnancy & the Flu Vaccine

It is now standard practice to inoculate expectant women in America against influenza, but is it what's best for mom and her growing baby? 

When Katie Tyler, who’s 33 years old and lives in Truckee, California, went in for her 28-week pregnancy checkup, the nurse at the doctor’s office urged her to get the flu shot.

At first, Tyler, a real-estate agent, was skeptical. About to go on a 10-day vacation with her husband, she didn’t want to do anything that might make her sick. Because she was pregnant she was avoiding medication, and was a bit perplexed about why she should get a vaccine. She had never had a flu shot before.

“I want to do whatever’s right for the baby, and for myself during pregnancy,’” Tyler, who has shoulder-length brown hair, light brown eyes, and a warm smile, remembers telling the nurse.¹

The nurse responded that every pregnant woman in the practice was getting the flu shot. She reassured Tyler that she’d be fine, and that the vaccine definitely wouldn’t make her sick.

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The Greater Good is a documentary that explores the cultural intersections where parenting meets modern medicine and individual rights collide with politics. The film offers parents, doctors and policy makers a safe space to speak openly, and weaves together the stories of families whose lives have been forever changed by vaccination.

Mothering.com founder Peggy O'Mara talks with Dr. Andrew Wakefield; coauthor of a 1998 study that suggested a link between Crohn's Disease and the Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR) vaccine in some children. 

In the special interview conducted early this year, Wakefield discusses the controversy surrounding his research. 

Vaccine Related Articles

Vaccine Resources

New Health Journalism
This article was the opening speech delivered by Peggy O'Mara for the 4th International Public Conference on Vaccination on October 2, 2009. 

VAERS Reports
Understandable monthly reports regarding event data on the flu and other vaccines from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. 

Vaccination Decisions 
As a parent, you want to make the most informed and responsible vaccination decisions for your family. Here is some helpful information.

NVIC
The National Vaccine Information Center is the oldest consumer led organization advocating for the institution of vaccine safety.