Vaccination fears - Moments in Medicine

The series History of Medicine Podcasts from Oxford Brooke University (School of Arts and Humanities) also called: 'Moments in Medicine', had a fascinating issue about the vaccination debate.

The podcast shows the loaded history of vaccination. Immediately upon the early uses of vaccination (or inoculation) the practice was contested. One almost gets the impression that people are naturally suspicious of vaccination. By all means, no one likes to be injected with alien content and certainly not if it causes disease. Even if the one disease is a mild one to prevent another more problematic one.

In all times, vaccination could only be successful if it was widely applied, enough to cut of the growth of the germ. This, for highly contagious disease, may require up to 95% use. Yet, this leaves a 5% or more section that need not be vaccinated, yet still can benefit from it. This benefit can also lure the false idea that the vaccination is not actually needed. Fed into the natural suspicion this gives root to the debate.

More History of Medicine:
History of Medicine podcasts (Oxford Brookes University),
Medieval Islamic Medicine (University of Warwick),
Medicalhistory.