This remarkable book tells you everything you need to know about vaccines. Having nearly 40 years’ experience of the subject, the author covers the history of vaccines, how they work, how research is carried out, their safety, how they are used in society, the inside track on COVID-19 and what the future holds. It is a deeply personal account, with anecdotes involving a cow called Blossom, a hospital in the Caribbean, a crocodile-infested lake in Malawi, an encounter with Russian soldiers in Prague and many others. An A-to-Z section covers every vaccine from Anthrax to Yellow Fever. It will educate, entertain and enlighten the vaccine scientific community and public health practitioners.
Key Features
• Explores a highly topical concept of vaccines in a comprehensive and easy-to-read manner
• Engages readers with relatable and interesting anecdotes
• Provides a balanced, factual counter to the huge amount of current vaccine misinformation
Chapter 2 The milkmaid’s legacy
Chapter 3 The invisible army
Chapter 4 Taming the enemy
Chapter 5 I’d rather be jabbed than shot
Chapter 6 The long and winding road
Chapter 7 Beware of the crocodiles
Chapter 8 The space shuttle
Chapter 9 It’s not the vicar’s fault!
Chapter 10 Vaccines don’t save lives, vaccination does
Chapter 11 Rocket science
A – Z of Vaccines
The jargon
Biography
Dr Norman Begg is a public health physician with nearly 40 years clinical and research experience in the prevention and control of infectious disease. He has led the development and introduction of several new vaccines in the private and the public sector.
Begg brings over 40 years of experience on vaccines to this highly engaging, deeply personal narrative. The book starts by reviewing the history of vaccines and then proceeds to the mechanism of vaccine action, explaining how vaccine research is conducted. The text moves on to discuss the safety and efficacy of vaccines, the societal and public health aspects of vaccination including the issue of vaccine skepticism, COVID-19 vaccines, and finally what the future holds for vaccine technology. The text is written in a story-like fashion and is replete with absorbing personal and professional anecdotes. The content is comprehensive while being cogent. The text is lucid and reads effortlessly. The author manages to communicate complex vital concepts about the science and technology surrounding vaccines to the reader in an honest and unassuming way.
- P. R. Sukthankar, Kansas State University
