Vaccines: Are They Really Safe and Effective?

by Neil Z. Miller

This bestselling immunization handbook (new, updated 2015 edition) evaluates each vaccine for safety, efficacy, and long-term effects. It contains important, uncensored information that many doctors don't even know. It includes significant studies, several case histories detailing vaccine-induced damage to children, and pinpoints for parents exact conditions that may put their own child at high risk. In addition, health alternatives are offered, along with legal options to mandatory shots. It contains 30 graphs and diagrams plus more than 900 footnotes and scientific references so that all of the information may be confirmed. Parents, educators, health professionals, and other concerned individuals have very few sources of information permitting them to make informed choices. But concerned parents are pleading for answers to their many questions. Doctors only tell them one side of the story; there is another side. This book helps concerned people make wise and responsible decisions. Includes information on ALL childhood shots, plus current data on HPV (cervical cancer), shingles, smallpox, and influenza vaccines. This book has been translated into many foreign languages. Over 200,000 copies sold!

Genres: Health, Parenting, Vaccines, Science, Nonfiction, Education

106 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2008

Reviews

[Kaethe]

Yes, they are.

[Franziska · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author wasn't trying to hide that he is deeply opposed to vaccines, and so you truly are getting just one side of the story with this book. However, I did like that it was very, very short, and just full of research. No nice little stories or anything, just research findings that may support his case. However, it's a little dated, and the lack of context for a lot of the research weakens their credibility in regards to the topics. It does make you think and wonder though!

[Lareita · Rating 3 out of 5]

In trying to live a healthier lifestyle, I've been highly encouraged by many people to take a second look at vaccination. For a few years I disregarded their claims. But in trying to find a solution my youngest son's intestinal issues, I've come across interesting data in quite a few reputable sources regarding vaccines, their 'stabilizers' and the increase of bowel diseases in the US. And he doesn't need any more troubles right now with his bowels.

What made this book an interesting read was the amount of source data that came from reputable sources regarding vaccines. Hi information was not just the ranting and ravings of a fanatic, but highly factual.

What made me the most upset/mad was the following:

In 1948, during the height of the polio epidemics, Dr. Benjamin Sandler, a nutritional expert at the Oteen Veterans Hospital, detailed a relationship between polio and an excessive consumption of sugars and starches. He compiled records showing that countries with the highest per capita consumption of sugar had the greatest incidence of polio. He claimed that such 'foods' dehydrate the cells and leech calcium from the nerves, muscles, bones and teeth. A serious deficency precedes polio.

Researches have always known that polio strikes with its greatest intensity during the hot summer months. Dr. Sandler observed that children consume greater amounts of ice cream, soda pop, and artificially sweetened products in hot weather. In 1949, before the polio season began, he warned the residents of North Carolina (through the newspapers and radio) to decrease their consumption of these products. During that summer North Carolinans reduced their intake of sugar by 90 percent and polio decreased in that state in 1949 by the same amount. (The North Carolina Health Department reported 2,498 cases of polio in 1948 and 229 in 1949.)

Note: On manufacturer shipped one million less gallons of ice cream during the first week alone following the publication of Dr. Sandler's anti-polio diet. Coca Cola sales were down as well. But the powerful Rockefeller Milk Trust, which sold frozen products to North Carolinans, combined forces with the Coca Cola merchants and convinced the people that Sandler's findings were a myth and the polio figures a fluke. By the summer of 1950 sales were back to ordinary levels and polio cases returned to 'normal' during that year.

What makes me mad are a few things. Did no other doctors pick up on this? Even if it was a 'fluke', were there other researches that at least tried to duplicate this? Why is it that people ignore the simplest solutions? Also that the all-mighty dollar won out over common sense. That's what makes me mad.

[Rochelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, this is one of the more biased books I have ever read.
I believe that vaccines are pushed upon us but I don't think that they are all evil like this book is trying to claim. The author likes scary statistics but not sharing the whole story. I haven't read a single positive attribute to vaccines in this book and it's just too one-sided to be believable.
I'll stick with Dr. Sears' vaccine book, I think!!
I can't shelve this book as "health" so it will just hang out unshelved!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as part of a class I am taking.

This book was very informative. It had a lot of research and information about vaccines and the diseases they are meant to prevent. It also talks a little about the corruption involved between the vaccine makers and the government officials who make policy decisions. It's all about money, not the safety of society.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the sources aren't as reliable as others, but this book was nonetheless a huge eye-opener for me. I am still doing research, but if even one-third the things in this book are anywhere close to true, we will never vaccinate our children!

[Ashley Starrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, necessary read for all parents! Lots of visuals/graphs included which was helpful. Opens up the doorway to do more research from other views.

[Be_Aware_Of_Your_Bias · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too long; didn’t read at the bottom for those who don’t like long rants.



The only upside to this I can consider here is that the author kept it short. I stumbled upon Neil’s works while writing an evidence driven report on vaccination efficiency and misinformation. I was disappointed with Neil’s poorly crafted, very misleading graph regarding polio rates (which he did entirely through percentages. Percentages that for some reason ended up rising to 110%. Like, come on man. If you’re gonna cherry-pick data and base your [headache-inducing] work on a non-digital book from 1981 covering events from 1923-1970, at least make it reasonably difficult to write two entire pages on why the graph is inaccurate and terribly executed). I was just disheartened by this one-sided mess of an “educational” text. I remain neutral until one side provides genuine evidence and not just propaganda and coincidence. It’s also very important to note Monsieur Miller here isn’t qualified in any medical field involving vaccinations, nor is his gathered research fair. He is an independent journalist with access to the internet and a great mind wasted on this plague of a “movement”. Even the description is a dead giveaway to his ignorance: “things not even doctors know about”. You know how many times I’ve heard an anti-vax supporter claim to know more about vaccines than people who spend a large fraction of their lives studying medicine, and another fraction living by their knowledge? Too many times. If you’re looking for a losing argument, this book’s for you. If you want the truth don’t go looking for proof, you’ll only end up with propaganda from those who claim to have answers. But what do I know, I’m just your average sheeple looking at both views and picking the one that holds firm, not the one perpetuated through misinformation and conspiracies. (That is to say, if your career has nothing to do with a subject, maybe consider not writing books on it.) If you want a more thorough explanation of what I mean when I say he cherry-picks and outright lies, you can hit me up on a few platforms.

Reddit (recommended): u/thendofthebeginning (one “e” shared between “the” and “end”)
Gmail (the least recommended): cthulhutotallyrocks@gmail.com (we all have the cringe-inducing email address we made in our youth I guess).


Tl;dr: One-sided, unfair mess by a professional chess-pigeon. (That is to say, regardless of your moves the pigeon will just strut around the board, messing up your pieces like it accomplished something).

[Eric · Rating 1 out of 5]

Neil Z.* Miller has cranked out at latest count, seven antivaccine books. His overriding theme is that vaccines don't work, are dangerous, and that health professionals and other vaccination advocates are hiding the Truth from bewildered parents.

Miller's technique, on display in this book, is to Gish Gallop a bunch of references which are supposed to be convincing. What they really show is he has a talent for cherry-picking studies (the vast majority of which are irrelevant, mischaracterized, debunked and/or retracted by the journals that published them), while ignoring a far greater body of quality research that answers his question: Yes, vaccines are safe and effective.

There's no lack of good evidence in favor of vaccination. Many good sources exist, including the websites of the American Academy of Pediatrics and Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania. The PubMed online database of medical/scientific publications is searchable for free, and gives you links to lots of articles.

What Neil Miller and his fellow antivaxers never explain is why physicians, public health experts, epidemiologists, scientists etc. would advocate for vaccination if it's so useless and harmful. These people have children and family members they want to protect, and also get vaccinated themselves against dangerous infectious diseases. Antivaxers want you to believe instead that they're monsters who are only interested in money.

Beware of those who attempt to demonize their opponents.

*the "Z" could stand for Zero, which describes Miller's training and qualifications to pontificate about vaccines.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh, just more evidence that it is virtually impossible to find good, reliable, wholly truthful information about this topic.

This book had some great information, reported some studies and statistics I've seen in enough credible places to deem them reliable (like the CDC website and the vaccine package inserts), but like just about everyone else on either side of this debate, the author loses my trust by not fully disclosing all of the information. (Read: He pretty much leaves out any data in support of vaccines at all, except to admit that some of the diseases we vaccinate for are indeed dangerous, and I know there is more than that.)

Whatever we end up deciding, it is going to have to be based on information from sources that are totally honest and open with all the facts, admitting the many risks involved on either side, and not someone with just a blanket injunction to "do it" or "don't do it", ignoring all the valid arguments from the other side. This book doesn't fit the bill, but I'll give it two stars just because the information that was presented wasn't false or made up (just distorted by not including certain key details!) And it DID have a lot of good information, especially about the history of each vaccine, and I liked how it went into detail about the effects, risks, and in some cases ingredients of each vaccine.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miller makes a very thought provoking argument with very interesting content. Of course, it's so hard to know what to trust when stats can be skewed and research can be manipulated to show pretty much any conclusion. That being said, tonights local news highlighted a Utah family whose son was diagnosed with severe Autisim. The coverage included photos and video clips of the little boy just weeks before and weeks after his 2nd year MMR. What a staggering change. The parents, like so many others of childen with Autisim, swear that the vaccination is what triggered their sons disorder. Of course, when I approached my highly trained and educated doc with my concern - I was pretty much laughed at and told that the 'hysterics' over vaccinations was esentially hogwash. It seems that medical professionals that treat children and parents who raise children have such differing opinions on the issue. It just doesn't add up.

[Mikaylah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was quite an eye opener for me. Packed with research, quotes and statistics from a variety of sources including the CDC, FDA, Doctors, Geneticists, bacteriologists, manufacturers of vaccines and parents of children who had an adverse reaction to a vaccine, and/or were permanently damaged and/or died from a vaccine. This book will open your eyes to the controversy around vaccines and the reasons for it. This author supports non-vaccination but the research and evidence against the safety and efficacy of vaccines should be considered by any parent who is deciding whether or not to vaccinate their children.
Whether you read this particular book or another, please EDUCATE BEFORE YOU VACCINATE.

[Eric T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book and then do even more research.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something that every parent should have.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of information and I love all of the resources which allowed me to do even more research.

[Alev Art · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well documented and incredibly informative summary of everything parents should know about vaccines. I would recommend it to each and every parent.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes yes yes!!!! This book is life-saving & definitely a keeper. Knowledge is indeed power because what we do not know can kill us. This book has opened my eyes to understand a subject I never thought was important up until the whole conspiracy theory of the COVID vaccine came along in 2021. I went in to learn about one thing and came out with more than what I could have imagined. Understanding what vaccines are and wheat they do is empowering because I can now make an informed decision without undue influence.

[Katie Woodard · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the less biased books on this issue, very informative and generally good resources.

[Gold Dust · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick to read. Has superscripted citations but doesn’t go over the ingredients.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author definitely did his research! Lots of backed up information and charts.

[Donna Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scary stuff. Easy read.

[Trinity Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

"As parents, you are entitled and responsible for obtaining the facts about the benefits and risks of vaccinating your children."

[Morgan Foutz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This had a lot of studies and evidence. It was a little bit extreme, I feel like it was a good book considering the data, and not just someone lecturing without facts.

[Meagan Nielsen · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this book has a lot of information broken down into a short amount of pages, there is so little context for most of the studies and findings that it is hard for me to take it at face value. Obviously opposed to vaccines, this book basically says all vaccines are neither safe nor effective. I'm continuing to do research, hopefully with more balanced perspectives. I wouldn't recommend this book to people who are trying to make decisions for their children. I would only suggest it to people who are already opposed to vaccines.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated the format of this book and although the author's bias comes through, I loved the forewords that written by individuals on both sides of this debate. This book helped establish our family's views on vaccines.

[Terra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very concise info for this extremely controversial subject. I was impressed with how many research papers and studies he references. Helpful in determining which vaccines I want to give and which ones I want to avoid for Maris.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very informative.I highly recommend it to parents no matter what your opinion is on vaccinations. It gives timelines for the disese's, when the vaccines were first introduced and other information I found interesting that health professionals don't tell you.

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got this from my mom. I read it once about 10 yrs ago when researching a term paper

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

ok, obviously against vaccines. not as well-balanced as Romm's and Cave's books are, but always good to read all sides of an issue...

[Naomi]

This is a very interesting book and something parents should read if they are making the choice to vaccinate or not.