Vaccines: Are they Worth a Shot?

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xii

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2. Who Is Afraid of Vaccines?

   • Andrea Grignolio

   Pages 1-23

3. A Brief History of Anti-vaccination Movements

   • Andrea Grignolio

   Pages 25-40

4. The Accusations Against Vaccinations on the Internet: Autism, Mercury and Immunological Overload

   • Andrea Grignolio

   Pages 41-89

5. How to Unmask the Anti-vaccination “Experts”

   • Andrea Grignolio

   Pages 91-109

6. The Past, Present and Future of Vaccines

   • Andrea Grignolio

   Pages 111-135

7. Conclusions

   • Andrea Grignolio

   Pages 137-153

8. Back Matter

   Pages 155-181

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The dangerous decline in vaccinations in many developed countries is at the heart of a lively debate that confirms how important the subject is today. Vaccinations are among mankind’s most important scientific discoveries, yet they continue to be viewed with suspicion by part of the public – the victims of disinformation campaigns, instrumentalization and unfounded fears. There is, however, also an evolutionary explanation for these irrational beliefs, and countering the growing social opposition will be extremely difficult without grasping it.

This book, which sheds new light on the safety and importance of vaccinations, is intended both for parents and those readers who want to understand the role of vaccinations in contemporary society, where the ease of access to knowledge is both a great opportunity and a great responsibility. The chapters follow a historical progression and conclude with a discussion of the most recent cognitive theories on how to overcome this opposition to vaccinations.

• Vaccination
• Health education
• anti-Vaccination movement
• Infection Prevention
• Measles vaccine
• Immune system
• Immunity
• Vaccines
• Infectious Diseases

“The book covers what the author sees as the future of vaccines and even a section on effectively communicating resistance to the anti-vaccine trend. While the book is translated from Italian and includes many European examples, it also incorporates examples and citations from US and Canadian sources and remains relevant to an American audience. The extensive reference list could be useful for anyone studying this topic.” (C. A. Tomlinson, Choice, Vol. 56 (6), February, 2019)

• Unit and Museum of History of Medicine, Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

  Andrea Grignolio

Andrea Grignolio teaches the history of medicine at the Sapienza University of Rome and carries out research on the history of vaccinations at the Université François Rabelais of Tours. He has had an international education, which has taken him from Paris to Boston to Berkeley. He has published in national and international journals and writes for “la Repubblica” and “La Stampa”.

Policies and ethics