Reliable Sources of Immunization Information

Where to go to find answers to your questions

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Reliable Sources of Immunization Information (PDF)

On this page:
Websites
Videos
Publications
Mobile Apps
Phone Numbers

Websites

• American Academy of Pediatrics Immunization Initiatives
  Provides comprehensive immunization information for parents and health professionals.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - For Parents: Vaccines for Your Children
  Provides immunization information specifically for parents. The information can be viewed based on your child's age.

• Immunization Action Coalition
  Educational pieces for parents including many resources on vaccine safety concerns, personal testimonies, and immunization information by age groups.

• Vaccines.gov - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
  Easy-to-understand information to help consumers make informed decisions about immunizations.

• Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
  Provides facts about each childhood vaccine, how and why vaccines work, who recommends them, and more. This site notes that it receives no funding from pharmaceutical companies.

Videos

• Parents Magazine videos
  Ari Brown, MD, FAAP, collaborated with Parents magazine to create these two parent education videos:
  • The Vaccine Schedule: answers the question "Should parents follow a strict vaccine schedule or is there room for flexibility?"
  • Vaccines for Babies and Older Kids: answers the question "Which vaccines do kids need and why are they necessary?"
    
    
• Vaccine-Preventable Disease - Family Stories
  This site contains short videos about families who were affected by vaccine-preventable diseases, produced by the non-profit organization Pkids.

• Vaccines: Separating Fact from Fear
  Produced by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. These videos answers common questions parents have about vaccines.

Publications

• Clear Answers & Smart Advice About Your Baby's Shots (PDFs)
  By Ari Brown, MD, FAAP. This 6-page publication gives easy-to-understand answers from a pediatrician to common immunization questions.

• Parent's Guide to Childhood Immunizations
  A 64-page booklet from CDC's National Immunization Program about childhood diseases and the vaccines that prevent them. You can read the guide online, download a printer-friendly version, or order a printed booklet.

• Plain Talk About Childhood Immunizations
  An online immunization booklet for parents, available in English and Spanish from Seattle and King Co. Public Health, WA. Order online or by calling the Family Health Hotline at 1-800-322-2588.

• Vaccine Information Statements (VISs)
  These fact sheets, produced by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explain the benefits and risks to vaccine recipients, their parents, or their legal representatives. Federal law requires that VISs be handed out before certain vaccine doses are given. The VISs are also available from your health care provider. Also available in many foreign languages at Immunization Action Coalition Vaccine Information Statements.

• Vaccines and Your Child: Separating Fact from Fiction, 2011
  By Paul Offit, MD, and Charlotte Moser, Columbia University Press. This book answers questions about the science and safety of modern vaccines. To purchase, visit your local bookstore or Columbia University Press.

Mobile Apps

• Immunization Apps
  The Immunization Action Coalition has put together a list of mobile apps that offer immunization information for health care providers and the public.

Phone Numbers

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Immunization Information Hotline
  A toll-free number for questions about vaccine-preventable diseases and immunizations.
  
  • 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636)
    (Note: This line is for English and Spanish)
  • TTY: 1-800-232-6348
    
    
• Minnesota Department of Health Immunization Program
  A toll-free number for health care professionals and consumers who have Minnesota-specific immunization questions.
  
  • 1-800-657-3970 or 651-201-5503

Adapted from the Immunization Action Coalition