Dr. Joel “Gator” – Vaccines, Integrative Pediatrics & Raising Healthier Kids

Dr. Jenelle Kim sits down with Dr. Joel “Gator,” a board-certified pediatrician known for his balanced, evidence-minded approach to parenting and integrative medicine. This episode takes on one of the most polarized topics today—vaccines—through the lens of data, risk-benefit thinking, and informed consent. They explore rising chronic conditions in children, what a “slow/alternate” schedule actually looks like, how policy shapes vaccine safety incentives, and the role of food, toxins, and lifestyle in kids’ long-term health.

You’ll Learn

• How to approach vaccines through risk-benefit thinking rather than ideology
  
  
• What a “slow/alternate” schedule involves (timing, spacing, one-at-a-time)
  
  
• The difference between preventing severe disease vs. blocking transmission
  
  
• How liability and the 1986 Vaccine Injury Act shape safety incentives
  
  
• Why chronic pediatric conditions are climbing—and what parents can control
  
  
• How integrative pediatrics uses nutrition and environment alongside Western care
  
  
• Mindset shifts: curiosity, humility, and staying out of “certainty traps”
  
  

Chapters
00:00 – Why this conversation matters for parents
01:18 – Meet Dr. Joel “Gator”
04:40 – Keeping the topic non-political
08:05 – Why vaccine conversations feel censored
12:20 – Informed choice vs. mandates
15:10 – Breaking down a slow/alternate schedule
19:25 – Intuition, sensitive kids & missing research
22:40 – Genetics, safety, and data we need
26:15 – 1986 Vaccine Injury Act explained
29:20 – School requirements & choice
33:10 – Chronic conditions: obesity, allergies, autism
38:05 – Better diagnosis vs. true rise
41:10 – Food quality, toxins & systemic change
45:05 – Integrative pediatrics in practice
47:10 – Debate, humility, and mindset
49:00 – Book + advocacy resources
50:35 – Closing thoughts for parents

Links & Resources
🌿 JBK Wellness Labs
📘 Between a Shot and a Hard Place
🎓 Dr. Kim’s The 8 Keys of Living Meditation & Qigong Courses 
📲 Dr. Joel Gator: @drjoelgator | theshotbook.com