Extra Credit - Critical Thinking Topics (Full Vaccination Option)

“5 Surprising Moments in Vaccine History” is a very interesting Washington Post article written by Anna Rothschild. In addition to the written excerpt, Rothschild also created an educational three part video series that addresses the history of vaccines, debunks myths, and provides a clear scientific understanding of how vaccines are made and how they work. 

In the first video, I liked how Rothschild introduced the idea of vaccines from a historical perspective to provide us with background and context. She talks about how before vaccines, people used the process of variolation to protect themselves against smallpox. This was a very rudimentary and unethically tested method of directly exposing a sick person’s postule to an uninfected person. In addition to variolation, people would also expose themselves to a less harmful cousin (cow pox) that could provide similar immunization. One main takeaway from this video was the observation that people became complacent and careless in getting vaccinated when they stopped seeing the impact of smallpox. However, whenever people begin to see the effects of the disease spreading again they become eager to obtain immunization. One example is the last smallpox epidemic in NYC during the 1940s. After a few people contracted the virus, 2 million New Yorkers lined up to get the vaccine. I think this analysis used strong critical thinking to understand why the levels of diseases have waxed and waned over time and to create a commentary on human behavior in response to fear. 

The second episode breaks down what is in modern vaccines by first examining one of the first lab created vaccinations that prevented diphtheria. This is a particularly gruesome disease that afflicts children. I was shocked by the original methods of treatment and the metal tubes put into the throat to help children breathe. I was surprised to find out that small quantities of aluminum can be found in the TDaP vaccine. Additives are a very controversial topic because there are misconceptions on the quantity injected and the harm of these foreign substances. However, Rothschild listed a number of day-to-day products that contain the same additives on a much larger scale. We do not have cause to believe that the additives in vaccines cause harm to the body. 

The last episode discusses how vaccines are tested for safety and the potential long term effects of vaccination. The U.S. government created an important control act that is responsible for regulating, testing, and monitoring vaccinations. Safety is paramount to creating new vaccines and they are first tested on animals before going through multiple rounds of testing on humans.Vaccine testing is very different from normal drug testing because patients need to be exposed to the disease in order to test its effectiveness. Rothschild then debunks the rumor that autism is caused by the measles vaccine. This singular paper had fraudulent data and since its release, multiple studies have been conducted and found no connection between the two. This video brings to light the power of upsetting and biased headlines that can perpetuate a lot of fears, confusion, and myths. 

My final takeaway from The Vaccines Project is that vaccine hesitancy is one of the biggest threats to public health. The spread of many infectious diseases could be avoided by successful vaccination through the herd effect and by eliminating possible host bodies. This is especially true in the modern world as globalization and efficient transportation methods make it incredibly easy for diseases to spread. In light of the most recent COVID-19 pandemic, I think we can all understand the severe repercussions of another global pandemic. Vaccine hesitancy is often rooted in the spread of misinformation and that’s why I found Rothschild’s project incredibly important. It helps educate the public on vaccines by breaking down scientific jargon and biological processes into easy-to-understand terms. Overall, I really enjoyed watching this video series and found it a very meaningful topic of conversation.