Vaccine Update for Healthcare Providers

On the Bookshelf

• "Quiet" by Susan Cain May 2013
• The History of Vaccines April 2013
• Special issue South Dakota Medicine March 2013
• Books for kids Feb. 2013
• Best Books of 2012 Jan. 2013

"Quiet" by Susan Cain

Susan Cain’s New York Times Bestseller, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking, provides readers with an interesting premise — introverts are as important and necessary to our success as a society as their extroverted counterparts. Starting with the contrasting characters of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks, Cain sets the stage for her argument by pointing out the dramatic effects of King’s oration and Parks’ action while acknowledging that the reverse roles would not have been as effective simply because of the types of people they were.

The book is divided into four parts each examining a different aspect of the interplay between introverts and extroverts.

• Part one discusses the value placed on extroverts in society today and the possible negative consequences of “groupthink” as compared to individual creativity.
• Part two focuses on the individual discussing the biological and psychological underpinnings of where one falls on the spectrum.
• Part three compares the extrovert ideal across cultures with an interesting discussion of Asian-American culture. For example, Cain shares the story of an immigrant from Taiwan who described the differences in the classroom when she first arrived in the U.S. where talking, not listening, was valued (pp. 184-5).
• Part four focuses on how to live as an introvert in an extroverted society and the value of an introvert in such a society.

Quiet offers readers an opportunity to learn more about the different types of people in their families, workplaces and communities. In addition, healthcare providers can benefit from this information when extroverted parents discuss their concerns for their quiet, non-joining child. Indeed, if people working with children read only one chapter of this book, it should be “On Cobblers and Generals: How to Cultivate Quiet Kids in a World that Can’t Hear Them” (Chapter 11).

Amazon.com»

Barnesandnoble.com»

BACK TO TOP

The History of Vaccines

The History of Vaccines project at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia recently published a similarly titled companion book to their extensive website. The primary audience is high school students; however, with more than 40 illustrations and chapters related to early methods of vaccination, the fight against polio and the expansion of the childhood immunization schedule thereafter, the book offers readers from all backgrounds useful information and historical context.

Single copies of the book are available from Amazon.com and bulk orders can be arranged by contacting the History of Vaccines staff.

BACK TO TOP

Special issue South Dakota Medicine

South Dakota Medicine, the journal of the South Dakota State Medical Association, recently produced a special edition of the journal dedicated to vaccines. Featuring authors from South Dakota as well as national experts, the journal contains articles about all aspects of vaccines:

• The state of immunizations in 2013
• Vaccine history
• Vaccine science
• Vaccine hesitation and the importance of personal stories
• Vaccine controversies
• Vaccinating special groups, including adults, pregnant women, travelers and healthcare workers
• The importance of vaccine champions
• Safe handling of vaccines
• The future of vaccines

The edition also includes several useful tables, such as:

• Risk of severe adverse events
• Summary of guidelines for vaccines and pregnant women
• A list of professional organizations that support mandatory influenza vaccination of healthcare workers

The entire edition is available online free of charge.

Find out more about the South Dakota State Medical Association.

BACK TO TOP

Books for kids

Do you need books for the waiting room? Wondering about good titles to donate to your local library? Need to get gifts for any kids? If so, read on to find some books for the younger crowd that will also help them better understand the spread of diseases and gain an understanding of vaccines:

• The Germ Patrol: All about shots for tots. . .and big kids too! by Neil Shulman, MD, Todd Stolp, MD and Robin Voss – Written using rhyming words, this story is about a young girl who doesn’t want to go for her vaccines. Her grandma shows her family members who had vaccine-preventable diseases and a nurse tells her how vaccines work. Available from Amazon.com.
• The Saturday Shot by Morgan Thomas – Written by a young girl, this story is also about a girl who is afraid of getting her vaccines, but ultimately, faces her fear and gets her shots. Available from Barnes and Noble Booksellers or Tate Publishing Company.
• Goldie Locks has Chicken Pox by Erin Dealey and Hanako Wakiyama – Goldie Locks is visited by friends and teased by her brother because she has chickenpox, but then her brother gets chickenpox too. Available from Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble Booksellers.
• Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson – This chapter book for adolescents and teens follows 16-year-old Matilda Cook during the Yellow Fever outbreak in Philadelphia in 1793. Available from Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble Booksellers.

BACK TO TOP

Best books of 2012

This month’s column offers a variety of books compiled from different sources over the course of 2012. If you are looking for your next read or, perhaps need a gift for a budding scientist in your life, you might consider checking out one of these:

• 2013 Science Books and Films Prizes for Excellence in Science Books – Published in the December 7, 2012 issue of Science, the list included the following categories: children’s science picture book, middle grades science books, hands-on science books, and young adult science books. Book themes cover a variety of topics, including animals, such as ducks and beetles, the ocean, biographies, and experiments. Books related to medicine and health included:
  
  • The Book of Blood: From Legends and Leeches to Vampires and Veins by H. P. Newquist
  • Invincible Microbe: Tuberculosis and the Never-Ending Search for a Cure by Jim Murphy and Alison Blank
  • The World in Your Lunch Box: The Wacky History and Weird Science of Everyday Foods by Claire Eamer
  • The Violinists’ Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code/And Other Extraordinary True Tales as Written by Our DNA by Sam Kean
    See article summary or purchase list»
• Royal Society’s Young People’s Book Prize – Also published in the December 7, 2012 issue of Science, this list featured books considered effective at communicating science to readers 14 years of age and younger. One medicine-related title was included, Plagues, Pox and Pestilence by Richard Platt. See article summary or purchase list»

• Best Summer Reading for Nurses – was presented as a slideshow on Medscape.com after asking readers for recommendations of medical-related books. View the slide show to see if you’ve read any of the recommended titles»
• Great Books for Medical Professionals – also presented as a slideshow on Medscape.com and based on reader recommendations. View the slideshow»

BACK TO TOP