Immunization Action Coalition Will Promote the 2012 Edition of The Vaccine Handbook

SAINT PAUL, Minn., May 1, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) today announced the launch of a major effort to promote the new fourth edition of The Vaccine Handbook: A Practical Guide for Clinicians ("The Purple Book"; 2012, 560 pages) by Gary S. Marshall, M.D. IAC Executive Director Deborah Wexler, M.D., has written the foreword for the new edition. IAC will promote the handbook on an ongoing basis in its electronic publications and on IAC's website, www.immunize.org.

Stanford T. Shulman, M.D., the Virginia H. Rogers Professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, strongly recommends The Vaccine Handbook to healthcare workers in general pediatric practice. He writes, "This handbook is full of practical information covering virtually all aspects of the topic and answering just about all questions related to vaccines that parents may pose to physicians."

The Vaccine Handbook is considered a vital source of practical, up-to-date information for vaccine providers and educators. Its driving purpose is to draw together the latest vaccine science and guidance into a concise, user-friendly, practical resource that can be used in either the classroom or the clinical setting. Though the handbook is replete with scientific background and references, its language is accessible. The handbook contains specific chapters on each vaccine licensed in the United States and provides complete, authoritative recommendations. It discusses how vaccines are developed, tested, and licensed; how vaccine policy is made; what constitutes the vaccine safety net; vaccine providers' legal obligations; billing procedures; and office logistics.

Author Dr. Gary Marshall is professor of pediatrics at the University of Louisville School of Medicine in Kentucky, where he serves as chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and director of the Pediatric Clinical Trials Unit. In addition to being a busy clinician, he is nationally known for his work in vaccine research, advocacy, and education.  

Dr. Wexler is enthusiastic about the handbook and is delighted to join in its promotion. "During more than 20 years in the field of immunization education, I have not seen a book that is so brimming with state-of-the-science vaccine information," she states. "This book belongs in the hands of every medical student, physician-in-training, doctor, nursing student, and nurse who provides vaccines to patients."

For more information about the handbook, visit www.immunize.org/vaccine-handbook. To order a copy, visit the website of the publisher, Professional Communications, Inc., at www.pcibooks.com/books/view/49 or call 800-337-9838.

About the Immunization Action Coalition

The nonprofit Immunization Action Coalition is one of the nation's premier sources of immunization information, providing practical resources and services to healthcare professionals and their patients in order to increase immunization rates and prevent disease.

IAC's immunization educational tools have a strong impact on the education, attitudes, and practices of healthcare professionals throughout the nation, making IAC one of the most respected and relied-upon immunization organizations in the United States. IAC is also a direct source of immunization information for the public. IAC's two major websites receive more than 20,000 visits per day, and its email news service broadcasts weekly immunization updates to more than 45,000 opt-in subscribers. 

SOURCE Immunization Action Coalition