Vaccines 101:A Pediatrician’s Guide to Immunization Basics S2E20 Episode 55

Vaccines are one of the most talked-about—and misunderstood—topics in parenting today. We tackle vaccines head-on, not just as pediatricians, but as moms who have made these decisions for their own families.

Drawing from decades of clinical experience and personal stories, Sylvia and Vivian discuss why vaccines have been one of the most transformative advances in pediatrics, how vaccine safety is monitored, and how misinformation has shaped public perception over the last few decades.

This is an open, honest, and evidence-based conversation designed to help parents understand the why behind vaccines—so they can feel informed and confident in their decisions.

Resources:

VAERS - Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System https://vaers.hhs.gov/

VSD - Vaccine Safety Data Link https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety-systems/vsd/index.html

HHS Autism Announcement Fact Sheet https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/autism-announcement-fact-sheet.html

Vaccines Don't Cause Autism. Why Do Some People Think They Do? How a retracted study from the 1990s undermined trust in vaccines and led to a persistent myth.

https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/the-evidence-on-vaccines-and-autism

Murch SH, Anthony A, Casson DH, Malik M, Berelowitz M, Dhillon AP, Thomson MA, Valentine A, Davies SE, Walker-Smith JA Retraction of an interpretation Lancet. 2004;363(9411):750.

Madsen KM, Hviid A, Vestergaard M, Schendel D, Wohlfahrt J, Thorsen P, Olsen J, Melbye M A population-based study of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination and autism N Engl J Med. 2002;347(19):1477

Hviid A, Hansen JV, Frisch M, Melbye M Measles, Mumps, Rubella Vaccination and Autism: A Nationwide Cohort Study Ann Intern Med. 2019;170(8):513. Epub 2019 Mar 5. Fombonne E, Zakarian R, Bennett A, Meng L, McLean-Heywood D Pervasive developmental disorders in Montreal, Quebec, Canada: prevalence and links with immunizations Pediatrics. 2006;118(1):e139.

DeStefano F, Bhasin TK, Thompson WW, Yeargin-Allsopp M, Boyle C Age at first measles-mumps-rubella vaccination in children with autism and school-matched control subjects: a population-based study in metropolitan Atlanta Pediatrics. 2004;113(2):259.

Iqbal S, Barile JP, Thompson WW, DeStefano F Number of antigens in early childhood vaccines and neuropsychological outcomes at age 7-10 years Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2013;22(12):1263.

EPISODE CREDITS: Hosts - Sylvia Bank, MD and Vivian Carlin, MD

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