Tara Haelle is a journalist who has written for a variety of nationally known publications including Scientific American, Wired, and the Washington Post. Tara is the author of two well-written and easily understandable books for parents that may be of interest:

  • The Informed Parent — co-authored with Emily Willingham and published by Tarcher Perigee in 2016. This 10-chapter book covers subjects that virtually every new or expectant parent has questions about. Chapters cover topics ranging from getting pregnant to starting preschool, including delivery methods, feeding options, vaccinations, co-sleeping, medications, pacifiers and more. Each topic is covered in a way that presents the various ideas parents may hear, related scientific studies including a description of study strengths and weaknesses, as well as personal experiences of the authors.
  • Vaccination Investigation: The History and Science of Vaccines — published by Twenty-First Century Books in 2018. This 120-page book is a quick, accessible read related to vaccines. The book covers vaccine basics and history, how vaccines are made, concerns against vaccines and their historical basis, and future vaccines.

If you have a patient library, are looking to expand your own library, or wish to enhance the parent or health and medicine sections of your local library, both of these books are worth the investment.

To get The Informed Parent:

To get Vaccination Investigation:

Materials in this section are updated as new information and vaccines become available. The Vaccine Education Center staff regularly reviews materials for accuracy.

You should not consider the information in this site to be specific, professional medical advice for your personal health or for your family's personal health. You should not use it to replace any relationship with a physician or other qualified healthcare professional. For medical concerns, including decisions about vaccinations, medications and other treatments, you should always consult your physician or, in serious cases, seek immediate assistance from emergency personnel.