Life Examined
Vaccines and the history behind their discovery
Infectious diseases have long shaped human history, from the 14th century Black Death and the 1918–19 influenza pandemic to today’s emergence of the COVID-19.
By Jonathan Bastian • • 51m ListenInfectious diseases have long shaped human history, from the 14th century Black Death and the 1918–19 influenza pandemic to today’s emergence of the COVID-19. As new vaccines are getting ready to be administered against this latest pandemic, what’s the long history behind their discovery? And why are they still hotly debated despite their many global public health successes in eradicating deadly diseases like smallpox and polio.
In this episode
2 storiesHow did ancient cultures make sense of plagues and pandemics?
In 1796, British doctor Edward Jenner became famous for being the first doctor to use a form of bovine disease called cowpox to inoculate or against smallpox. It was a breakthrough in medical history.
Read the story32 minAre mandatory vaccinations ethical?
KCRW’s Joanthan Bastian talks with philosopher Julian Savulescu about the anti-vax movement, personal liberty, and the ethics of mandatory vaccinations.
Read the story19 min
