Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
An ex excellent book which debunks all the misinformation spouted by celebrities that also explains why vaccination is important to everyone. Vaccination is truly one of the most important public health advances in history and to squander a cheap and easy way to protect your child, community and species is just foolish. This book should be read by everyone.
An excellent look at the culture around vaccines in the U.S. using historical examples to show how the ideas of the anti-vaccine movement are not new, how litigation and personal injury lawyers play a role, how the media gives so much more print and face time to anti-vaccine activists (who not only disregard science but sometimes misrepresent it altogether) than to scientists or vaccine experts, and how distrust in the government, pharmaceutical companies and science perpetuates the movement.
I think it's easier to understand the importance of vaccines when you've seen a child die from dehydration due to rotavirus infection, or from typhoid, or be paralyzed from polio--these types of diseases have largely disappeared from the U.S. because of vaccines. So, parents who choose not to vaccinate rely on "herd immunity" to keep their unvaccinated children healthy. But what about kids who are too young to get a vaccine and are exposed? Or kids with leukemia or other conditions that make vaccines ineffective or dangerous to them? They are at risk because of the choices of other parents.
Dr. Offit proposes to three solutions to the crisis: One, wait until these terrible infectious diseases make even more of a comeback than they are now and convince parents to vaccinate out of desperation; two, do away with religious and philosophical objections to vaccine mandates; three, change the culture around vaccines. The third solution is the only one he sees as viable.
I'd highly recommend this book to anyone interested in public health or those interested in seeing why "we are all part of a large immunological cooperative."
I think it's easier to understand the importance of vaccines when you've seen a child die from dehydration due to rotavirus infection, or from typhoid, or be paralyzed from polio--these types of diseases have largely disappeared from the U.S. because of vaccines. So, parents who choose not to vaccinate rely on "herd immunity" to keep their unvaccinated children healthy. But what about kids who are too young to get a vaccine and are exposed? Or kids with leukemia or other conditions that make vaccines ineffective or dangerous to them? They are at risk because of the choices of other parents.
Dr. Offit proposes to three solutions to the crisis: One, wait until these terrible infectious diseases make even more of a comeback than they are now and convince parents to vaccinate out of desperation; two, do away with religious and philosophical objections to vaccine mandates; three, change the culture around vaccines. The third solution is the only one he sees as viable.
I'd highly recommend this book to anyone interested in public health or those interested in seeing why "we are all part of a large immunological cooperative."
This is a great book regarding vaccine hesitancy and the modern anti-vaccine movement by one of the most prolific vaccine researchers in the country. From the very beginning of the book, I can tell that Dr. Offit is writing about and for those who have been the most wronged by the anti-vaccine movement: our children. Throughout the book, Dr. Offit reminds the reader that it is the children, whether they are immunocompromised and cannot get vaccinated, or whether they have autism which the parents blame on the vaccine, which suffers from the ignorance and cruelty of those peddling misinformation and disinformation in the name of the anti-vaccine movement.
In this book, Dr. Offit offers a stunning glimpse into the history of the anti-vaccine movement, which started ever since Edward Jenner inoculated a child with cowpox to protect against smallpox. He traces the origins of the movement and its figureheads, such as Lea Thompson, Barbara Loe Fisher, Andrew Wakefield, and Jenny McCarthy. He traces how every time, the media sensationalizes their unscientific viewpoints and perspectives, giving credence to their fringe beliefs that are falsified by science. Nevertheless, he empathizes with the parents who have been misled by these people and understands their pain.
By the end of the book, it is clear Dr. Offit is one of the foremost voices regarding vaccines in the entire country, if not the entire world. He traces out the needs for a huge cultural change, which is also playing out in the COVID-19 pandemic. He brings up the concept of an “immunological commons,” and brings up the hope that as a community, we can all come together to vaccinate our children and protect the unprotected. He bears hope that there will be a time of unity where we take pride in our great decision to protect our children from preventable diseases, harkening back to the pride that Americans felt when the polio vaccine was proved safe and effective. It is an important message not just for the present moment, but for the future as well.
In this book, Dr. Offit offers a stunning glimpse into the history of the anti-vaccine movement, which started ever since Edward Jenner inoculated a child with cowpox to protect against smallpox. He traces the origins of the movement and its figureheads, such as Lea Thompson, Barbara Loe Fisher, Andrew Wakefield, and Jenny McCarthy. He traces how every time, the media sensationalizes their unscientific viewpoints and perspectives, giving credence to their fringe beliefs that are falsified by science. Nevertheless, he empathizes with the parents who have been misled by these people and understands their pain.
By the end of the book, it is clear Dr. Offit is one of the foremost voices regarding vaccines in the entire country, if not the entire world. He traces out the needs for a huge cultural change, which is also playing out in the COVID-19 pandemic. He brings up the concept of an “immunological commons,” and brings up the hope that as a community, we can all come together to vaccinate our children and protect the unprotected. He bears hope that there will be a time of unity where we take pride in our great decision to protect our children from preventable diseases, harkening back to the pride that Americans felt when the polio vaccine was proved safe and effective. It is an important message not just for the present moment, but for the future as well.
informative
medium-paced
I don’t read a lot of medical/health related books, but this was given to me by my mama (she’s a nurse). It’s interesting for sure. Definitely pushes the idea of vaccines with a ton of research. I’d assume that this is a very controversial type book given mandated vaccines in our society right now. But, I believe it to be well written and well researched whatever your stance on vaccines are.
I try not to read books when I find their central thesis a foregone conclusion, but this was good, even if it felt very self-indulgent. It is hard to love vaccines more than I already did, but Dr. Offit also reviews the history of the anti-vaccine movement, which is fascinating. He also gave answers to my husband's perpetual question of: "how do I enlighten parents who want to use the Dr. Sears' schedule?"
Something everyone should be aware of. A few inaccuracies (the raggety Ann doll example), but otherwise really useful and insightful.
Offit is preaching to the choir here; it's a book that should be read by anyone who is even thinking about delaying or not vaccinating their children, but I think for the majority of us, it's not too hard to figure out why not vaccinating is so dangerous.
Equal parts enlightening and infuriating, this book examines the roots of the moden anti-vaccination movement.