A New History of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases: Immunization - Chance and Necessity

While there are many short articles on the history of vaccines and a number of multi-author scientific books there is no single work that probes the historical debates, the scientific, political and cultural milieu that influenced the acceptance of immunological intervention in infectious diseases. A New History of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases: Immunization - Chance and Necessity treads a neutral path but does not avoid discussion. The uncertainty in the outcome of vaccination can only be determined by experiment. The path to vaccine development was scientifically complex because the immune system and the manner in which humans respond to infection is variable and also complex. The development of vaccines has obliterated many fatal infections diseases and will continue to do so. A New History of Vaccines: Chance and Necessity for Immunization also describes the risks and benefits in a visibly objective manner. This has not always been so but is a sine qua non for global acceptance of each new vaccine as it is developed.