Between a Shot and a Hard Place

by Joel Warsh

Vaccines are amongst the most heated topics of debate and discourse around vaccines is often subject to censorship. This is why openly discussing them has never been more critical. In Between a Shot and Hard Place, Dr. Joel "Gator" Warsh, an integrative pediatrician and trusted voice in holistic health, navigates the complex and controversial landscape of childhood vaccination with clarity, compassion, and evidence-based insight.


This book is not about taking sides—it's about empowering parents with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions for their families. Drawing on decades of medical expertise, the latest research, and real-world experience in his practice, Dr. Gator presents a balanced, nuanced perspective that bridges the gap between mainstream medicine and holistic health.


In Between a Shot and Hard Place, you’ll


• A historical perspective on vaccines
• How do vaccines work, and why are they so heavily debated?
• What are the risks and benefits of specific vaccines, and how do they compare?
• What the research actually shows on vaccines, autism, SIDS, and chronic disease
• How to make decisions that are right for your family


Dr. Gator shares case studies, practical advice, and tips for communicating effectively with healthcare providers. Whether you're a parent starting to explore vaccination options, someone following an alternative schedule, or simply looking for a deeper understanding of this complex topic, this book is your trusted companion.


With honesty, humility, and a commitment to the health and well-being of all children, Between a Shot and Hard Place challenges the polarizing rhetoric and offers a path forward—one that respects individual choices while fostering informed, thoughtful dialogue.

Genres: Vaccines, Nonfiction, Medicine, Health, Parenting

352 pages, Paperback

Published April 30, 2025

About the author

Dr. Joel “Gator” Warsh is a board-certified pediatrician who specializes in parenting, wellness, and integrative medicine. He grew up in Toronto. He completed his Pediatric Medicine training at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and currently runs Integrative Pediatrics and Medicine Studio City. He is also the founder of the parenting Masterclass series Raising Amazing.

Reviews

[Jessica Guseyn-Zade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read from front to back. Wish I would’ve had a book like this when my babies were younger. I love how he gives the facts, the history, the good & bad without being picking a side. Ultimately it’s up to parents to decide but having the facts on what they are injecting into our children and what could happen if we do or we don’t vaccinate is so important.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

Full of cherry-picked data and scare tactics, this is anything but a neutral tome on vaccines. Disappointing.

[Jill Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not anti vax , Not pro vax. Just straight up facts and humble dialogue. Overarching point Dr. Joel drives home is that parents need to be able to voice their questions and concerns without being labeled as anti vax or a conspiracy theorist. Good parents care about their children and just because they have questions and concerns about vaccines (or any medical intervention for that matter), does not mean they are anti that thing. Perhaps they actually care about science so much that they want to see it improve and grow. This book doesn’t tell you what to do, but instead gives you facts and empowers you to make decisions for your children that you are most comfortable with. It encourages you as a parent to not be afraid to ask questions, pump the breaks if you need to and seek respectful and humble people to engage with on this important topic.

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me somebody who is on the side of Natural health and trusting in the human body. this book provided exactly what I needed, albeit fell short of providing a personal opinion. but it is understandable why he doesn't do that as many would choose to hinge their decision making on him and therefore heap blame. this book provides one of the most balanced views attempting to look at the pros and the cons attempting to swing left swing right and to understand and review the literature and available studies from the most neutral perspective possible. of course it is not possible to apply zero bias to anything that is as emotionally loaded as this topic. however, I believe Joel does as good a job as any at balancing and approaching from a non-bias perspective. my level of knowledge regarding vaccines and vaccine science has improved significantly. although I believe I still won't confidently be able to make the decision that my gut believes is right, I will feel more confident making a decision as a whole compared to before reading this book.

[Chris Jansson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author does a good job laying out both sides of the debate—but he never actually says anything. It’s just pages and pages of ultra-specific detail with no real summary, no big-picture takeaways, and definitely no help drawing a conclusion. If you’re trying to make informed choices for your kids, be ready to work for it.

Also, this book could be half as long if the author didn’t feel the need to shout “I’m not telling you what to do!” every other page. We get it. You love open debate. You think we should hear both sides. Cool. So do your readers—or they wouldn’t have made it past chapter one. No need to keep preaching to the choir.

[Jenna Cooley]

I feel like it’s hard to rate a book of this nature. It took me months to get through cause there is A LOT of information.

This book broke down each and every vaccine on the childhood schedule. It addressed every question parents had but left you with more questions than answers. I don’t feel as if this book leans one way or the other in regard to whether you should or should not vaccinate your child. He truly is just giving you all the facts on ingredients and studies done on each vaccine. Again this book was A LOT. But in the end it was informative and did leave you with a lot to think about.

[Lexy Bloomfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent look at vaccines and the studies that have been done. The author is not at all anti-vax (or pro). I have read several books on vaccines just searching for clear answers, but all have been disappointingly one sided with clearly cherry picked data, making blanket statements one way or the other. In this book he is honest and humble and gives the facts without asserting his opinions as facts. I learned a lot and if anything, this helped me feel better about the vaccines i have allowed my kids to get. But i also learned that we need more studies on vaccines!

[Nathan Pullman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book is primarily written in the US context, there's helpful information in here for anyone who wants to have a better understanding of vaccines, how they work, what's in them, how they have been studied as safe and effective, and how they were created.

As a soon to be parent, this has helped me to be more informed in making decisions around this issue in relation to my child. Definitely worth the read.

[Jordyn Louiselle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not anti, not pro, just the facts. If you’re going to read one book about vaccines- make it this one.

Finally a non-biased book that lays out the advantages of vaccination, as well as the unknowns. It focuses on providing the information to make an informed decision when it comes to vaccines.

I recommend this book to all parents, all future parents, pediatricians, and honestly anyone who wants to learn more about vaccines concerning the childhood vaccination schedule.

[tina hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is one of the most neutral-minded books on vaccines that i’ve read so far. very fact based, for ever “anti” thought there’s a “pro” thought within a page. he breaks it all down in a very easily digestible way. great book all around.

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an extremely balanced deep dive into the vaccine debate. Very thorough (almost too much info at times) presentation of the history of vaccine development and testing. Unfortunately, I came away with more questions than answers.

[Becky Carney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good neutral book on vaccines. Not anti- vac or pro- vac but more looking at the research and how the research is done. Dr. Joel really encourages parents to ask questions, and do research. A great book for parents to read.

[Sue Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

An objective review of the vaccine schedule by a paediatrician: the good, the bad and the ugly. Thought provoking

[Julia Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A refreshingly clear, factual, informative book about a topic that’s become so controversial to even talk about

[lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mediator between the fringe and the standard thought on vaccines. Just presents the research, what we do and don’t know, and makes it a point to not make recommendations.

[Paula Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG- I am spot on! You’re welcome my children!

[Ben DuBose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was a good book. Very mindful of presenting data in an unbiased way as much as possible. This was good book to receive education on vaccines and review data relavent to the current CDC vaccine schedule, ingredients used in them, and review of research and data concerning prevalent questions concerning them. I highly recommend this book for new parents and anyone looking to begin a deeper education into the topic of vaccines.