How to Ask Questions about Vaccines without Getting Kicked Out of Your Doctor’s Office

By Robert W. Sears, M.D

Few parenting topics today stir up more controversy than childhood vaccines. In the old days, patients just did whatever the doctor ordered, no questions (or at least, not too many questions) asked. But when it comes to vaccines, today’s parents want to know more…

• What are the possible side effects?

• What is the risk of catching a severe case of the diseases?

• Is mercury still in some vaccines?

• What other ingredients are in the shots?

• Do vaccines cause autism?

• Is it safe to give so many shots simultaneously?

The problem is, doctors only have about 15 minutes to spend with you at your baby’s checkup. This is just enough time to do an exam and answer some basic questions about feeding, development and behavior. If you try to throw in a dozen vaccine-related questions at the end of your visit, do you really think you’ll get some open and thorough answers?

Probably not.