Why the anti-vaccination movement persists 200 years after smallpox's end
In short: The 1998 MMR controversy was not an isolated incident but a chapter in a centuries-old narrative. This lecture traces the evolution of vaccine hesitancy from early irrational fears to modern medical disputes.
Professor Gareth Williams explores the long history of vaccine skepticism, beginning with Edward Jenner’s first vaccination 202 years before the 1998 publication of Andrew Wakefield’s controversial Lancet article. While Jenner's work eventually led to the global eradication of smallpox, the movement against immunization has persisted through various eras of medical advancement.
The lecture examines how these fears are shaped by specific social settings and outdated medical understandings. By reviewing the movement's long tail, Williams provides a balanced assessment of how contemporary vaccination science interacts with historical and social anxieties.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: From Jenner to Wakefield: The long shadow of the anti-vaccination movement
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