Technically Speaking: The Rainbow of Vaccine-related Books

Do you know where you could find these vaccine-related resources?

1. A quick chart of vaccine-preventable disease terms in multiple languages
2. Information and resource web links for current infectious disease outbreaks affecting the pediatric population in multiple U.S. states
3. Tables and graphics that summarize and clarify a large amount of complex information on vaccination-related issues, like the timeline of vaccine development and historical vaccine costs
4. Destination-specific maps for international travel showing risk of vector-borne infectious diseases, like dengue, malaria and yellow fever

If you aren’t sure where to find these resources (or if you didn’t know they exist), you should be aware of a rainbow of vaccine-related books that can help. Find out which book can help you find the answers to the above examples, plus get more information about each book.

Example 1: A quick chart of vaccine-preventable disease terms in multiple languages

The best book to find this information is the one commonly known as “The Pink Book.” In addition to chapters on each vaccine preventable disease, this book includes chapters on principles of vaccination, general recommendations on immunization, immunization strategies for health care practices and providers, vaccine safety, storage and handling, and vaccine administration. “The Pink Book” offers a wide variety of appendices, such as “Catch-up Schedule Job Aids for Persons Aged 0 Through 18 Years,” “Vaccine Excipient Table,” “Latex in Vaccine Packaging” and “Vaccine-Preventable Disease Terms in Multiple Languages.” The entire book is available online at no charge.

Nickname: “The Pink Book”

Official name: The Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases

Organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Web link: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/index.html

Date: 14th Edition, 2021

Price: Free online or order a printed copy from the Public Health Foundation Learning Resource Center for $50.

Description: “The Pink Book” provides comprehensive information on routinely used vaccines and the diseases they prevent. The 14th edition also includes general immunization recommendations; info about vaccine storage, handling and administration; and more.

The CDC also offers courses based on this publication. Online webinars offer continuing education credits, and in-person events are also offered occasionally, such as an upcoming one in Denver, CO. In-person events can also be scheduled through the CDC if certain requirements are met. Find out more.

Example 2: Information and resource web links for current infectious disease outbreaks affecting the pediatric population in multiple U.S. states

The best book to check for this information is “The Red Book” published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). It contains the latest information about vaccines, emerging novel diseases, diagnostic modalities, and treatment recommendations for children. Additionally, AAP offers an online compendium of information on current infectious disease outbreaks in the U.S. that affect the pediatric population.

Nickname: “The Red Book”

Official name: Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases

Organization: American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

Web link: https://publications.aap.org/redbook

Date: 33rd Edition, 2024

Price: AAP members have automatic access to Red Book Online; printed copies cost $140. The price for non-members is $175.

Description: This book outlines AAP recommendations and is a go-to guide for pediatricians. “The Red Book” is published every three years, but the online version is consistently updated with the latest recommendations from the AAP, ensuring that pediatric healthcare professionals have access to the most current information.

Aspects that are new in the 2024 Red Book:

• Updated chapters, including “Breastfeeding and Human Milk” and chapters related to vaccine and infectious diseases
• Expanded chapters, such as “Discussing Vaccines With Patients and Parents,” expanded tables, figures and algorithms; and an expanded listing of “Codes for Commonly Administered Pediatric Vaccines, Toxoids, and Immune Globulins”
• New chapters, such as on COVID-19 and Mpox 
• Updated and standardized approaches to disease prevention through immunizations, antimicrobial prophylaxis, and infection-control practices

Red Book Online Webinars are presentations from distinguished experts on important and timely topics on pediatric infectious diseases and immunizations. For example, in April 2024, AAP posted “Diagnosing Measles in the Pediatric Setting.” In this 10-minute webinar, Dr. O’Leary, the Chair of the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases, describes the three steps pediatricians should immediately take if they have a patient suspected of having measles: Isolate the patient, report to public health, and collect the appropriate specimens. By quickly taking these steps, healthcare providers may help minimize the circulation of measles virus in their clinic and community. Viewers can download Dr. O’Leary’s slides to share at practice huddles and in-service meetings, so accurate information can spread — hopefully faster than the virus!

Example 3: Tables and graphics that summarize and clarify large amount of complex information on vaccination-related issues

The best book in which to find these resources is the one commonly known as “The Purple Book.” Just to show a few examples, Chapter 1 includes wonderful tables and graphics on antibody function, cytotoxic T-cell responses, a vaccine-preventable diseases timeline, the process of vaccine development and licensure in the United States, and the cost of vaccines in the routine childhood schedule from 2005 to 2020. Thorough and carefully organized, this book is assiduously updated. If you want a deeper understanding of the reasoning behind the recommendations, this is the book for you.

Nickname: “The Purple Book”

Official name: The Vaccine Handbook: A Practical Guide for Clinicians

Author: Gary S. Marshall, MD, Chief, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Norton Children's and University of Louisville School of Medicine

Web link: https://pcibooks.com/books/view/49

Date: 12th edition, 2024

Price: The book is available as an app (Android or Apple) at no charge; the bound book costs $49.95.

Description: The "Purple Book" is a user-friendly guide to almost everything related to immunizations, including practical advice and background information related to vaccine program infrastructure, standards and regulations, business aspects of vaccine practice, general recommendations, schedules, special circumstances, and how to address vaccine-related concerns. The book also includes specific information about vaccine-preventable diseases and available products.

Example 4: Destination-specific maps for international travel showing risk of vector-borne infectious diseases

The best book for information on issues related to international travel is CDC’s “Yellow Book.” Whether you need disease-specific destination maps, global outbreak notices, or access to yellow fever vaccine, this is the book for you. It is helpful for healthcare providers as well as for travelers with questions.

Nickname: “The Yellow Book”

Official name: CDC Yellow Book: Health Information for International Travel

Organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Web link: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/yellowbook-home

Date: 2024

Price: Free online or order a printed copy from Oxford University Press or other major online booksellers, such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble, for $64.95.

Description: “The Yellow Book” is a resource for healthcare professionals providing care to international travelers. It compiles the U.S. government’s most current travel health guidelines, including pretravel vaccine recommendations, destination-specific health advice, and easy-to-reference maps, tables and charts. Along with disease-specific prevention and treatment recommendations, this book provides background and context necessary for understanding and addressing health threats associated with international travel.

The 2024 edition includes:

• Information related to COVID-19
• Updates related to practicing travel medicine in a virtual environment
• New standalone vaccine tables for bacterial and viral diseases
• Updated travel health recommendations for subgroups of international travelers, including those who are highly allergic, immune compromised, chronically ill, medical tourists, or who have substance use disorders
• Guidance for country-specific mosquito avoidance as well as information on vaccine and prevention recommendations for vector-borne pathogens

Other (less colorful) resources

Of course, these are not the only important resources and books for vaccine-preventable disease aficionados. “Flash Facts: Vaccines & Immunization — 2024” by John and Laurie Grabenstein offer the latest vaccine information at your fingertips. Available on paper or by using the Kindle app, this publication is great for busy clinics. Also, if you like to read about vaccines and vaccine history, be sure to check out Dr. Paul Offit’s new book, “Tell Me When It's Over: An Insider's Guide to Deciphering COVID Myths and Navigating Our Post-Pandemic World” in which he describes what we can learn from the most recent pandemic experience and “how to move forward with this virus that is likely here to stay.” Find more vaccine-related narrative books on the VEC’s “Vaccine Books” webpage.