348: Vaccine Truth Or Myth? Pediatrician Explains What Parents Need To Know | Dr. Joel “Gator” Warsh

Be Well by Kelly Leveque

Kelly Leveque

Nutrition, Education, Health & Fitness, Alternative Health, Self-improvement

4.8 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 20 August 2025

⏱️ 74 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Joel Warsh, better known as Dr. Gator, a Los Angeles based board-certified pediatrician who blends integrative medicine with traditional care. Joel just released his new book Between a Shot and a Hard Place: Tackling Difficult Vaccine Questions with Balance, Data, and Clarity, and we cover the nuanced conversations so many parents are having today about vaccines, informed consent, and empowered decision making. We talk about how to separate data from fear, why trust between patients and doctors has eroded, and how parents can feel more confident when navigating medical decisions for their children. Joel shares his perspective on integrative pediatrics, holistic prevention, and how to reduce biases when it comes to health care choices. → Leave Us A Voice Message! Topics Discussed: → How can parents make informed vaccine decisions? → What is integrative pediatrics and why does it matter? → Are vaccines tested with proper placebos? → How can families reduce risks and support detox after vaccines? → What should parents look for in a pediatrician? Sponsored By: → Be Well By Kelly Protein Powder & Essentials | Get $10 off your order with PODCAST10 at bewellbykelly.com → AG1 | Get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D3+K2 AND 5 free AG1 Travel Packs with your first subscription at drinkAG1.com/bewell → Maui Nui | Right now, Maui Nui is offering a free 12-pack of their jerky sticks with your first order of $79 or more. Just go to mauinuivenision.com/kelly to grab yours. Timestamps: → 00:00:00 - Introduction → 00:01:31 - Importance of informed consent → 00:04:21 - Eroding patient trust → 00:07:29 - Covid vaccine risks & benefits → 00:11:54 - Covid studies → 00:14:02 - History of vaccines → 00:17:31 - Placebo testing → 00:20:49 - Rise in vaccines → 00:24:25 - Removing biases → 00:29:56 - Hepatitis B vaccine → 00:33:12 - “Anti” vs “Pro” vax → 00:35:17 - Aluminum data & studies → 00:41:58 - Different types of vaccines → 00:44:43 - Heavy metals & lead → 00:50:06 - Vaccine prep & detox → 00:54:56 - Tracking vaccine injury → 00:59:44 - There’s no solid answer → 01:03:04 - Finding a pediatrician → 01:06:41 - Healthcare is collaborative Further Listening: → Parenting at Your Child’s Pace: Dr. Joel “Gator” Warsh’s Empowering Advice for Parents Check Out Dr. Joel: → Website → Instagram: @drjoelgator → Book: Between a Shot & A Hard Place → Links → Parenting Community Check Out Kelly: → Instagram → Youtube → Facebook

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	The biggest concern with this liability shield is there's not a good push or there's
0:04.8	no reason for these companies make their products better.
0:07.6	And I think that to me is by far the biggest concern because if you can't sue them,
0:12.2	then why would they try to make their products safer or better?
0:15.6	They don't have any good reason to do that, really.
0:19.9	You're listening to Be Well by Kelly Leveck.
0:25.2	Joel Warsh, aka Dr. Joel Gator, of the popular parenting Instagram account,
0:30.0	is a board certified pediatrician in Los Angeles, California,
0:32.9	who specializes in parenting, wellness, and integrative medicine.
0:37.1	He is the author of multiple books,
0:39.2	including his latest, Between a Shot and a Hard Place, tackling difficult vaccine questions with
0:45.3	balance, data, and clarity. He grew up in Toronto, Canada, and completed a master's degree in
0:50.9	epidemiology before earning his medical degree from Thomas Jefferson Medical
0:54.5	College. He completed his pediatric medicine training at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles and then
0:59.8	worked in private practice in Beverly Hills before founding his current practice integrative pediatrics.
1:05.9	Dr. Gator has published research and peer-reviewed journals on topics including childhood injuries,
1:11.4	obesity, and physical activity. He has been featured in numerous documentaries, films,
1:16.2	summits, podcasts, and articles. And it's a pleasure to welcome Dr. Joel Gator back to the show.
1:22.1	Dr. Joel, you're back. Your second appearance on the Be Well by Kelly podcast, and that's because
1:26.3	you have your new book between a shot and a hard place, tackling difficult vaccine questions with balanced data and clarity.
1:34.0	Even just saying that, I'm like, we're going to get censored. But you have been asking and answering
1:40.0	hard questions in this book. And what I loved about it was it was the history of these vaccines.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Kelly Leveque, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Kelly Leveque and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.