Paul A. Offit, MD, and Charlotte A. Moser (NASW Member)—Vaccines and Your Family: Separating Fact from Fiction, 2nd Ed.

Advance copy: Backstories on books by NASW members

Vaccines and Your Family

VACCINES AND YOUR FAMILY:
SEPARATING FACT FROM FICTION, 2nd Ed.
Paul A. Offit, MD, and Charlotte A. Moser, MS (NASW member)
Columbia University Press, September 19, 2024
Hardcover, $80, Paperback, $19.95, eBook, $18.99
Hardcover ISBN: 9780231213387, Paperback ISBN: 9780231213394
eBook ISBN: 9780231559867

Moser reports:

This is the second edition of a book originally published in 2011. Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, we realized that rather than seeing vaccines’ life-saving benefits, some people were more wary than ever of this technology. For the same reason, we wondered if our publisher would be interested in an update.

In preparing our proposal, we addressed the proverbial “elephant in the room,” arguing that the need to address vaccine skepticism was a key reason an updated edition would be important and timely.

Charlotte Moser

We also noted that new vaccines and changes to childhood vaccine recommendations had occurred since 2011 and that the opportunities for adults to be vaccinated had increased, expanding the need for information among all members of a family. We recommended expanding the focus from childhood vaccines to all vaccines.

Our publisher agreed. One of the biggest challenges of writing this edition was the ever-changing information. These changes related not only to COVID-19 vaccines but also to several other vaccines. As scientists, we know that science continues to evolve. As scientists who study vaccines, we were thrilled to see such monumental progress. As authors, we faced difficulty keeping the content current during the publication process.

While we were busier than ever addressing vaccine information needs in the context of our roles at the Vaccine Education Center, we were able to research and draft this latest edition during off-hours. For me, that meant working mostly on weekends or other days off. For Dr. Offit, that meant weekends and early mornings before his workday started.

If I were talking to aspiring authors, I would tell them to be prepared for the length of time it takes to publish a book—about a year and a half from signing the contract to release of the book. Second, I would say enjoy the process. Writing a book is like having a conversation with your reader, so relish the opportunity to create something that person will find useful and engaging.

Contact info:

Charlotte A. Moser, MS, charlotteamoser1@gmail.com, https://www.chop.edu/vaccine-education-center/contact-us
Linked In: CharlotteAMoser
Book: Vaccines and Your Family: Separating Fact from Fiction, 2nd Ed., https://www.chop.edu/parents-pack/resources/vaccine-books
Publicist: Robyn Massey, 347-260-1085, robyn.massey@columbia.edu
Agent: Andy Zack: 212-712-2400, rights@zackcompany.com

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Banner image adapted from original photo by Charlotte A. Moser.

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Advance Copy

The path from idea to book may take myriad routes. The Advance Copy column, started in 2000 by NASW volunteer book editor Lynne Lamberg, features NASW authors telling the stories behind their books. Authors are asked to report how they got their idea, honed it into a proposal, found an agent and a publisher, funded and conducted their research, and organized their writing process. They also are asked to share what they wish they’d known when they started or would do differently next time, and what advice they can offer aspiring authors. Lamberg edits the authors’ answers to produce the Advance Copy reports.

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