Hi there! I’m so glad you found this post.
My name is Tori Williams, I’m a mom to 3 little boys. Before 2014, I assumed that vaccines were SAFE and effective! I actually thought that it was the law, to “get your shots at the doctor before you can go to public school”. In 2014, I was a new mom, pregnant with my first baby.
When I was pregnant with my first baby I planned to vaccinate him because I thought it was the right thing to do to protect him. I also thought it was required by law.
Then when I was around 39 weeks pregnant, our maternity photographer asked me “Are you going to vaccinate your baby?” and I thought… **….um.. well, yeah? What a strange question to ask, doesn’t everyone vaccinate their kids? Isn’t it illegal to not vaccinate your kids? wait, that can’t be right, parents get to make medical decisions, not the government, wow what a great question, I need to learn more**
(This was in the winter of 2014)
For the sake of this post being short & informative, I will just say-my first born received the vitamin K injection at the hospital when he was two days old, and he received the Hep B vaccine (usually given at birth, but I specified no Hep B vaccine at the hospital) at his
“3 day check up” at the pediatrician when he was 3 days old. He had adverse reactions to both injections, although not one doctor pointed me to vaers.hhs.gov to report the reactions.
So, how do parents make an informed decision, to vaccinate or not?
I get messages a lot from friends telling me how overwhelming it is trying to make an informed decision & be fully confident in ones choice.
I can tell you what I did, what I’ve continued to do (as the years pass and I have more babies), & what I recommend anyone does when I am asked about this topic.
This post has been created out of love for wanting to help friends make informed decisions–I am asked in private messages about this topic often.
Here’s a step by step.
Before you even begin, Pray to the God of all creation first! His love, direction, guidance, peace, wisdom, and truth is beyond anything this world can offer. He wants us to seek him, we are SO loved, he wants to help us navigate these waters.
My prayer for all who read this is that you will feel empowered and hopeful, excited to be aware of decisions you are making and to make them with confidence. That you have Peace that surpasses all understanding, and that only comes from God. Having the holy spirit within directing you is beyond words. Thank you Lord! In Jesus name, Amen.
1. Search for the most current CDC recommended immunization schedule. As I am writing this it’s 2020, so google search “CDC recommended immunization schedule 2020”
I click on the link (that is purple) that takes me directly to the CDC website.
You can click the button below to go directly to the 2020 CDC recommended immunization schedule for infants-18 years old
You’ll scroll down a bit and see, the recommended schedule. for BABIES, BIRTH-15 MONTHS.
(again) click here to see the schedule directly on the CDC website.
This first chart only shows the recommended shots for the first 15 months of life, there is an additional chart for recommended vaccines from 18 months to 18 years.
This chart reflects the CDC’s recommendation of 25 doses injected into EVERY baby. From newborn, the very first day of birth, through 18 months, that is 25 injections.
Of 10 different vaccines— 2 of which are comb shots.
The DTaP & the MMR vaccines are the combo shots in this example. The DTaP vaccine is for Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis–the MMR vaccine is for Measles, Mumps & Rubella.
This is the chart showing recommended vaccines for all children (in the US) ages 18 months-18 years.
2. Searching for the CDC recommended immunization schedule for the year you were born! I was born in 1995, a quick search “1995 vaccine schedule” brings it right up for me (to be downloaded). 
I clicked the link and badda bing badda boom it immediately downloads.
Click the download to open the file, & here it is. Just have to scroll through and do a little searching to find it!
Zoomed in, here is the schedule for the year I was born.
The recommended childhood immunization schedule in 1995 has 7 doses recommended for the first 16 years of life, 8 if DTP was given instead of DTaP.
7 doses recommended from birth through the teen age of 16. 7 doses, of 5 vaccines. 2 of which are combo shots, the same two that still to this day are combo shots– DTaP & MMR.
(The DTaP vaccine is for Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis–the MMR vaccine is for Measles, Mumps & Rubella.)
3. PRINT BOTH OUT! The current schedule, and the schedule for the year you were born.
Also at this point please stop saying “I was vaccinated and I am just fine!!!!” 🙂
No adult living today was given 25 doses of the vaccines in the first 18 months of life.
Isn’t it mindboggling that babies today (in the US) are given more immunizations in the first 18 months of life than we received in the first 18 years of our lives?
Once you have the current schedule handy
Found here: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/child-adolescent.html
Moving right along, now is the time to get the vaccine inserts for each individual Vaccine.
Understanding how to read the recommended schedule is necessary to ensure you are able to obtain each Vaccine insert, for each vaccine, so you can read the inserts!
You can get the vaccine inserts from your baby’s pediatrician, or by printing them from the FDA website online. They’re found in the actual box (at the doctors office) , & I’ll show you how easy it is to print them at home!
Asking your baby’s pediatrician for the inserts is the easiest/fastest/most efficient way to obtain the correct inserts 🙂
4. What even is a Vaccine insert?
It’s all the information regarding each individual vaccine, from the Vaccine Manufactures.
Reading the inserts you will find indications & usage, dosage & administration, contradictions, warnings & precautions, adverse reactions, drug interactions, use in specific populations (pregnancy), clinical pharmacology, nonclinical toxicology, sometimes clinical studies, and more.
5. How to find Vaccine inserts online & print them at home, simplified
Having the current recommended schedule handy so you know what inserts you’re looking for is what I’ve always done–however, I know from experience that it can be time consuming and confusing when looking online, because there are multiple variations of many vaccines, and you will need the correct specific insert for the vaccine that is scheduled to be given to your kids.
SOLUTION! This handy dandy chart provided by the CDC telling us which vaccines are in the child & adolescent immunization schedule, their abbreviations, & trade names. 
Click on the image to zoom in or save
THIS IS THE EXACT LIST YOU NEED TO PRINT THE CORRECT INSERTS (FOUND ONLINE)!
I was pleased to learn tonight that this chart/list is found on the very bottom of the CDC webpage with the current recommended childhood schedule. Print this chart too so you can reference it while printing the inserts.
I was also so happy to find a master list on the FDA website of every Vaccine licensed for use in the United States, complete with the insert conveniently linked to print for each of the vaccines!
Use the button above when you are ready to actually view and print each individual vaccine insert.
Here you will easily find each vaccine insert, by going down the list and clicking each one that matches (both product name, and trade name) from the CDC recommended schedule.
Starting with the Hep B vaccine, I scroll down the list & find it. 
Then, I click it. (trade name Recombivax HB)
It takes me here. Then, under product information, click Package Insert! 
Which takes you…
To the Hep B vaccine insert from the manufacturer, all 10 pages!!!
Every vaccine on the schedule can be found this way using the links shared here.
Get the insert for each vaccine on the recommended schedule, actually printed on paper in your hands, so you can read through them. You can do it!! I promise, you can! I believe in you. Knowledge is empowering. This is how you make an informed decision!
6. Familiarize yourself with the illnesses the CDC recommends vaccinating for so that you fully understand what each illness or disease entails— how it’s spread, what it does to the body, natural ways to prevent it or to heal the body at home.
Research the history of these illnesses, & the history of the introduction of the vaccines , the history of improving sanitization methods, the invention of indoor plumbing, the use of DDT and other harmful toxins at the time of rises of specific illnesses. This is when I say a prayer of thankfulness, genuine joy, for being able to wash my hands and bathe myself and my kids as we need. Thank you Jesus!
7. Make decisions based in confidence & love with a sound mind, do not make decisions based in fear.
8. Keep in mind this post will be edited to include more helpful information!
Blog by Tori Alysha 