On the Bookshelf: Anti-vaccine Sentiment Now and During the Time of Smallpox
Published on in Vaccine Update for Healthcare Providers
Published on in Vaccine Update for Healthcare Providers
Garth Williams, author of the recent Polio Revisited, previously penned Angel of Death: The Story of Smallpox. Although first published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2010, the well-researched book is a great read for anyone who works with vaccinations or has an interest in the social and historical aspects of vaccine-preventable diseases.
While a recap of the topics covered in the more than 400-page book may be useful, this review will selfishly focus on one of the most fascinating aspects of the book to this reader; specifically, the parallels between arguments put forth today against vaccinations and those used in reference to the smallpox story. As someone who spends days working to address the misinformation and concerns surrounding vaccines, it was both interesting and, somewhat cathartic, to know that those who traveled before dealt with many of the same issues. Likewise, it was with great appreciation for today’s standards, that I finished the book pleased to be addressing these issues in the current tense.
Arguments against smallpox vaccination that may sound familiar:
Of note, Mrs. Little’s son, Kenneth, was vaccinated in September 1895 and died in April 1896. Between the time of inoculation and death, he suffered recurrent ear and throat infections, measles and diphtheria. The latter was the ultimate cause of his death. Mrs. Little pointed to ‘the artificial pollution of the blood,’ [that] had fatally weakened his constitution and left him at the mercy of the subsequent infections.” (p.281). His measles infection was described as typical.
To be fair, some concerns during the period of smallpox inoculation were valid. Of note, bacterial infections like syphilis and viral infections like hepatitis B were actually spread through smallpox inoculation procedures due to the lack of sterile procedures: “For example, nobody saw anything wrong with medical students going straight from dissecting fresh corpses to attend mothers giving birth; their professors were not much better, sometimes pocketing organs cut out of the recently deceased, to teach students in the delivery room.” (p. 269) Likewise, some doctors did work the system to profit from vaccinations. While there will always be more to learn, the state of science today and the checks and balances in place in the vaccine industry have made today’s vaccine programs extremely safe and effective.
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Categories: On the Bookshelf