Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
A fascinating account of
vaccination's miraculous, inflammatory past and its uncertain future.In 1796, as smallpox ravaged Europe,
Edward Jenner injected a child with a benign version of the disease, then exposed the child to the deadly virus itself. The boy proved resistant to smallpox, and Jenner's risky experiment produced the earliest vaccination. In this deftly written account, journalist Arthur Allen reveals a history of vaccination that is both illuminated with hope and shrouded by controversy - from Jenner's discovery to
Pasteur's vaccines for rabies and cholera, to those that safeguarded the children of the twentieth century, and finally to the tumult currently surrounding…
This will appeal to many people, from history buffs to health professionals and those of us who also love a good story. Myself, I always enjoy the human behavior aspect to how things came to be in our… The book is very well-written and extensively researched. The information provided is accurate and balanced. Mr. Allen does not shy away from criticizing the public health establishment when it…
