Vaccines: Are They Really Safe and Effective? (Taschenbuch)

Much of the author's statements are technically correct, but he leaves out additional information that may lead you to different conclusions. For example, Mr. Miller states, as evidence that over 90% of individuals who contract polio are asymptomatic, implying that polio was not overly important as a health issue. This number is correct. However, this low percentage still translated to 10 thousand to 20 thousand cases of paralytic polio per year in the U.S. He states that there is no credible evidence that vaccination caused polio to disappear, and offers decreasing death rates due to polio before vaccines as evidence. He says nothing about improvements in health care, or the invention of the iron lung in 1928 which kept people alive that would have died of respiratory failure previously, and he certainly does not mention that the overall numbers of polio cases appears to have been rising prior to vaccination. As evidence that the polio vaccine is dangerous, Mr. Miller offers evidence of an increase in polio cases in the New England States over a 1 year period from 1954-1955. He fails to mention the "Cutter Incident" in which a badly inactivated vaccine batch from one company actually caused polio in people, and fails to state that, after new inactivation protocols were established, NO cases of polio have been linked to the injected polio vaccine. Most importantly, he fails to present the information that in a span of 11 years, new U.S. polio cases per year dropped from 18000 cases to double digits after the start of the vaccination program.

I unfortunately found many of the same types of errors throughout this book; errors of misinterpretation, omission, or inaccuracy. The author attempts to show that practically all immunizations are worthless, or potentially dangerous, which speaks to his agenda. I find this particularly annoying. In my own educational career, I have seen the Haemophilus influenzae B (HiB) conjugated vaccine transform HiB from a potentially deadly disease that affected 1 in every 200 children, to a rarity over the span of 10 years (from 20000 US cases per year to about 200 per year, more than 600 US deaths per year to less than 10). During my 3 year residency at a major urban children's hospital, I saw NO cases of Haemophilus influenzae B. It seems ludicrous to me to imply that a vaccine like conjugated HiB could be ineffective.

The author's attempts to link vaccines with autism, hyperactivity, violent crime, drug abuse, and genetic mutations are tenuous at best, and his implication that Hepatitis B vaccine somehow contributed to the AIDS epidemic is extremely weak (hepatitis B and HIV are spread by the same mechanisms. Those at high risk for hepatitis B and got the vaccine are the same ones at risk to get AIDS). It is perhaps an indication of how strongly he feels against immunizations that he would attempt to tie these pervasive, multifactorial problems of society to vaccines.

For those who are thinking about the immunization issue, I would urge you to discuss the matter with your pediatrician. I would also strongly urge your to take this book with a grain of salt if you read it. An educated choice can only be made with reliable, accurate information. Although Mr. Miller is certainly passionate about his viewpoint, his interpretation of the data may not be entirely accurate...

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While this book is a good start on the topic, it is one of the books that many people will find too emotional - particularly people who are pro-vaccination to begin with. To his credit, the author makes this emotional element clear at the beginning of his book. I am glad the public library had this book, but I am spending my money on a more thorough and well written one I borrowed at the time - Immunization the Reality Behind the Myth by Walene James. She gives a well rounded and intellegent presentation of much of the same research Miller glosses over. The result being the reader will understand the issue more deeply themselves and come away armed with the facts. This one is so good I want it in MY library!

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