Terry Brenneman, MD

The ACIP, once more, revised its recommendations for administration of pneumococcal vaccination among adults aged ≥65 years. Is there a lesson learned here?

There are nearly 30 COVID-19 vaccine candidates in human trials. Confused? Here's a short primer on the old and new development platforms and the pros and cons.

The rules for pneumococcal vaccination can seem a little arbitrary. See what you know about the ACIP rationale behind these 5 recommendations for PCV13 and PPSV23.

Measles cases reported by the CDC doubled last week over the week before. Why shouldn't one or more of these 4 school-ready 5-year-olds receive the MMR vaccination?

Sample: How many MMR doses should a man born in 1960 who was vaccinated at age 3 receive if he is travelling to Brazil in 4 months? 

Sample: How many MMR doses should a 4-month-old travelling to Italy next month with family receive? Plus 4 more patient scenarios. 

"Vaccine side effects found to be good" is not a sentence that has seen much print. Which vaccine and what was the positive outcome? Click here.

The CDC says the number of US measles cases reported in 2019 to date is the largest since measles was eliminated in 2000. Would you know the virus if you saw it?

The measles outbreak shows no signs of slowing. Are you prepared to answer vaccination questions from patients and parents? This 5-question quiz may help. 

Fever is a common side effect of numerous vaccines in children, but is that good or bad? Take this 5-question quiz to decide. 

What position do the world's organized religions take on vaccines and vaccination? Find out who's "Yay" and who's "Nay."

Was it the flu vaccine? The virus itself? An unforeseen combination of both? You'll find out with these 5 questions.

Take our 5-question quiz to see what you know about these 2 vaccines, the similarities and differences, and how to accommodate both, for now.

There are 2 choices, actually: Should I offer to vaccinate? Then, which of the 2 available vaccines should I use? Consider a couple of the issues at hand.                  

Thimerosal was eliminated from the majority of childhood vaccines but rates of autism continued to climb. What do you know about the new culprit, aluminum?

A new hepatitis B vaccine is a good thing; some lingering safety concerns could be bad; the ugly? You may already know.

Based on the CDC's new 2-dose HPV vaccine recommendation, in which of these 7 scenarios would this male teen still need a third dose?

Our physician author is over age 65 years and needs to choose among more than 10 flu vaccines. All are good, but is one "gooder" for him?

Wrong route, wrong age, wrong storage, wrong interval. So many ways to do vaccination wrong. What to do when the wrong vaccine is given?

Winter is coming and so is influenza. Does the CDC recommend Fluzone or Flulaval for pediatric patients?

The quadrupled antigen in a high-dose influenza vaccine did reduce morbidity and mortality, but flaws in the recent study prompt questions.

Congressman urges Hurricane Harvey victims to get a tetanus shot. Medical myth or mandatory?

Figuring out how to bring a child up-to-date with missed vaccinations can be confusing enough, even without a language barrier.

The topic of HPV vaccination can be a loaded one for parents. Click here for some rational data to help them face facts.

Fingers point in all directions when the topic of low US HPV vaccination rates comes up. How to skip the drama? Just do it.

Once a vaccine is drawn up, the clock starts ticking. How long do you actually have? Try these 2 questions, and download a CDC guide at the end.

Which vaccines should you repeat when a SQ injection is given IM or vice versa?

Find out what you know about on- and off-label use of the newest DTaP/IPV combination vaccine based on this short scenario.

Even when a parent begs, you may still have to say “no” to MMR. Which of these 4 children should not receive the vaccination?

How do US figures on child mortality from vaccine preventable diseases compare with global stats? Update here, plus a brief review of vaccine efficacy.