Excellent resource

Ian MacDonald

I am writing regarding the book review by Dr Don Langille of Dalhousie University, published in the September 2008 issue of Canadian Family Physician.1 I wish to express my concern regarding Dr Langille’s recommendation of Dr Ron Gold’s excellent parent resource for immunization, Your Child’s Best Shot. A parent’s guide to vaccination.

I agree with Dr Langille that this book “provides excellent information and covers all aspects of vaccination.”1 I also agree with the many other positive comments that he makes about this book as a resource for parents.

My concern is that, despite these many positive comments, this book is rated as “mediocre.” I cannot disagree more. Against the backdrop of dozens and dozens of publications and websites that promulgate misinformation and foster fears about immunization, this is the one resource that physicians can use to help parents learn about and understand the value and safety of vaccines. In an era in which the public is all too willing to believe misinformation about immunization, a resource like this is absolutely needed.

Although the book is written at a high level of literacy, its purpose is to allow physicians to interpret the information for parents to help them decide about their children’s vaccines. In fact, most of the criticisms of immunization come from highly literate parents who are well able to understand the lay language that is used for publication. I find, therefore, Dr Langille’s criticisms unjustified. I would be very concerned if physicians across Canada neglected to recommend this one resource to parents because of the criticisms that Dr Langille has leveled.

Immunization remains one of the fundamentals of our children’s health and is one of the most cost-effective ways of preventing infectious diseases. Immunization is threatened by a plethora of misinformation. Your Child’s Best Shot can make a difference and should be on the shelves of every primary care physician’s office and every library in Canada.