diphtheria – Active History

Vaccinations and the Decline of Diphtheria

June 3, 2015 No Comments

[Editors note: This is a second follow up post from our Infectious Disease, Contagion and the History of Vaccines theme week] By Deborah Neill In 1883, Bedford Brown read a paper before the Virginia State Medical Society, which was published two years later as Reminiscences of Personal Experience in the History of Diphtheria. It opened with a heart-breaking account of a… Read more »

The Vaccination Experience: Historical Insights from Children and Families

March 31, 2015 1 Comment

By Mona Gleason The recent outbreak of measles in North America has again raised questions about why small numbers of parents refuse to have their children vaccinated, despite clear and commanding evidence of its safety and efficacy in preventing disease.[1] Despite these outliers, the vast majority of Canadian families take advantage of publically funded immunization programs to protect their children… Read more »