State of Immunity: The Politics of Vaccination in Twentieth-Century America

California/Milbank Books on Health and the Public

by James Colgrove

This first comprehensive history of the social and political aspects of vaccination in the United States tells the story of how vaccination became a widely accepted public health measure over the course of the twentieth century. One hundred years ago, just a handful of vaccines existed, and only one, for smallpox, was widely used. Today more than two dozen vaccines are in use, fourteen of which are universally recommended for children. State of Immunity examines the strategies that health officials have used―ranging from advertising and public relations campaigns to laws requiring children to be immunized before they can attend school―to gain public acceptance of vaccines. Like any medical intervention, vaccination carries a small risk of adverse reactions. But unlike other procedures, it is performed on healthy people, most commonly children, and has been mandated by law. Vaccination thus poses unique ethical, political, and legal questions.

James Colgrove considers how individual liberty should be balanced against the need to protect the common welfare, how experts should act in the face of incomplete or inconsistent scientific information, and how the public should be involved in these decisions. A well-researched, intelligent, and balanced look at a timely topic, this book explores these issues through a vivid historical narrative that offers new insights into the past, present, and future of vaccination.

Genres: History

348 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Shayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another guy who already wrote about the connection I thought I discovered 😵‍💫. Idk what my contribution to anti-vaccination efforts at the turn of the century will be, but this is a good reference point.

4/5 damnit I thought I was on to something stars

[Ben Kruskal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice exploration of the cultural, social, legal, and political aspects affecting public acceptance of vaccination, and issues concerning compulsory vaccination.A rather glib summary might be "there's nothing new under the sun", in the sense that so many of the themes are recapitulated from the late 19th century through the early 21st-century.and this is largely descriptive. That is, there's not so much of a discussion of the ethical issues underlying these questions as there is a discussion of how those who played out in American society during the 20th century. As some have said, this is a little bit dry, clearly being an academic work. However, for those who are interested in improving vaccination acceptance, it's really worth reading, to understand and avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.

[Anabel Giacobbi]

Definitely a book that I read. Actually, I liked this one, but I might have vaccine discourse fatigue for whatever reason. Who's to say.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book covering the history of immunizations in the United States in a richly developed historical and political context.

[Emmkay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting overview. Definitely reads like a dissertation (i.e. a bit dry), but not jargony.