Vaccine Nation: science, reason and the threat to 200 years of progress

Vaccine Nation by Raina MacIntyre investigates the progress in the provision of vaccinations for a variety diseases since a vaccine was initially used to prevent smallpox in the 1880s. During the 1950s vaccines were first used to prevent polio in Australia. Since then many diseases including measles, mumps, chicken pox, rubella, whooping cough, tetanus, tuberculosis and diphtheria have been controlled via vaccination. Research into influenza prevention began after the Spanish Flu pandemic between 1918 and 1920. Vaccinations are also available to limit pneumonia and more recently COVID-19 and its varieties. 

Although Australians have generally accepted the need for vaccination, especially for childhood diseases, since our recent experience with COVID-19 there has been a growing increase in the anti-vax movement, not just against COVID-19 but against vaccinations in general. The use of social media has been responsible for the spread much of the anti-vax information.

In May each year my husband and I have the annual flu injection plus the latest injection against recent COVID-19 variations. I have just had the first in the series of the new Shingles vaccine - having had the disease three times I am happy to try something that may prevent me getting the disease again or at least limit its effects. I am having the second injection later this year. Meanwhile my husband and I will have the update to the pneumonia injection that we had many years ago. Family history research has shown that we each had a grandfather who died from pneumonia, before the availability of penicillin to treat the disease and vaccine availability.

Australians queued up for the initial injections to control COVID-19, particularly in order for the country to go back to normal. The initial injections were compulsory, especially as so many had died or remained ill. It was imperative to at least slow the spread of the disease. Professor MacIntyre discusses present government policies restricting free vaccination to young people and older citizens. However local pharmacies can give some injections to other sectors of the population. She also discusses new research that may assist in the treatment of some cancers or even heart disease in the future.

Meanwhile progress in preventing and treating illness via vaccination will only work if Australians work together to create an environment where it is accepted that vaccination against disease not only helps individuals but the community as a whole. Vaccination Nation is an interesting and informative study of the acceptance of vaccination against disease as part of our general health.