On the Bookshelf: Defeating the Ministers of Death by David Isaacs

Defeating the Ministers of Death was written by Professor David Isaacs and published by Harper Collins in April 2019. Full of interesting vaccine tidbits, the book focuses on the historical aspect of vaccines while still offering up-to-date information that is relevant for parents today. Unlike many other books, this one focuses on vaccines from the Australian perspective and also discusses vaccines in the United Kingdom. The United States still appears prominently, but because the author is based in Australia, the observations were presented from an outside point of view.

The first several chapters of the book discussed the oldest vaccines, such as smallpox, rabies, polio, BCG (for tuberculosis) and diphtheria before describing more recent vaccines in a chapter titled, “The golden age of immunisation.”

Specific populations and topics were addressed in the next series of chapters, including cancer, pregnancy and the elderly.

The last several chapters covered the anti-vaccine movement, ethics, vaccine iniquity, and the future of vaccines.

For readers looking for an overview, or for data and a point of view from outside of the U.S., this book will be useful. Likewise, those who enjoy reading all books related to vaccines may find the unique and historical references to be of particular interest. The book is also approachable for those who want to learn more about vaccines but don’t have an extensive background in immunology and vaccines.

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