Book Categorizes Vaccine Opposition into Three Groups
The Story
A new book by Thomas Levenson titled A Pox on Fools examines the history of anti-vaccine arguments, grouping them into categories of true believers, grifters, and cynics. The book traces such arguments back to the 18th century, when inoculation campaigns against smallpox faced immediate backlash on moral and religious grounds. The article, based on a single report from Ars Technica, also quotes 93-year-old vaccine developer Stanley Plotkin expressing regret over the current direction of public opinion.
Key Facts
- Stanley Plotkin, 93, who helped develop several vaccines, recently said he is “beginning to regret having lived so long—because we’re going downhill.”
- Thomas Levenson’s book A Pox on Fools has a subtitle: “The True Believers, Grifters, and Cynics Who Convinced Us to Reject Vaccines.”
- The book notes that anti-vaccine arguments have been around for as long as vaccines have existed.
- In the early 18th century, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu and Cotton Mather initiated smallpox inoculation campaigns in London and Boston, respectively.
- Inoculation involved taking pus from a mild smallpox case, cutting the recipient’s arm, and rubbing the pus into the cut.
- A backlash occurred, with some claiming it was morally wrong to interfere with divine will and that disease was divine punishment for sin.
- The article states that in the 19th century, roughly 40 percent of babies died of infection before age 5.
Conflicting Reports
No conflicting reports identified in the source article.
Still Unclear
No open questions identified in the source article.
Misconceptions
No widespread misconceptions addressed in the source article.
Key Figures
- Stanley Plotkin – vaccine developer, age 93
- Thomas Levenson – author of A Pox on Fools
- Lady Mary Wortley Montagu – 18th-century inoculation campaigner in London
- Cotton Mather – 18th-century inoculation campaigner in Boston
Sources: Ars Technica
