Rash Decisions: Anti-vaccination Movements in Historical Perspective

By

Jim Harris

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Immunization poster from 1977 features Star Wars characters, R2-D2 and C3PO.

Star Wars Immunization Poster

Immunization poster from 1977 features Star Wars characters, R2-D2 and C3PO.

Measles poster from the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Measles Poster

Measles poster from the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Infected workers punish the measles god, while a doctor and drugstore keeper try to protect the god in this 1862 Japanese image.

Japanese Measles Poster

Infected workers punish the measles god, while a doctor and drugstore keeper try to protect the god in this 1862 Japanese image.

This meme circulated online in 2015 after 125 confirmed measles cases were traced back to seven infected Disneyland tourists.

"Meezles" Meme

This meme circulated online in 2015 after 125 confirmed measles cases were traced back to seven infected Disneyland tourists.

Photograph of a young boy in 1970 showing off his 'Official Rubella Fighter' membership card and button.

Rubella Fighter

Photograph of a young boy in 1970 showing off his “Official Rubella Fighter” membership card and button.

Eighteenth-century engraving of Lady Mary Worley Montagu in Turkish attire.

Lady Montagu

Eighteenth-century engraving of Lady Mary Worley Montagu in Turkish attire.

American clergyman, Cotton Mather, circa 1700.

Cotton Mather

American clergyman, Cotton Mather, circa 1700.

Title page of Zabdiel Boylston’s An Historical Account of the Small-pox Inoculated in New England, published in 1730.

Boylston Account

Title page of Zabdiel Boylston’s An Historical Account of the Small-pox Inoculated in New England, published in 1730.

French watercolor etching of a physician examining a milking maid’s cowpox covered hand.

Cowpox Vaccine

French watercolor etching of a physician examining a milking maid’s cowpox covered hand, while a farmer (kneeling) offers the dandy (left) a pustule from the cow, circa 1800.

Late 19th century lithograph of Edward Jenner’s vaccination of James Phipps.

Phipps Vaccination

Late 19th century lithograph of Edward Jenner’s vaccination of James Phipps.

Gillray’s 1802 caricature of vaccinated men and women growing cow parts on their bodies.

Gillray Cartoon

Gillray’s 1802 caricature of vaccinated men and women growing cow parts on their bodies.

Front and back of a medal presented by British naval medical officers to Edward Jenner in 1801.

Jenner Medal

Front and back of a medal presented by British naval medical officers to Edward Jenner in 1801.

British poster urges people to get free vaccinations at specific locations in Liverpool in 1851.

UK Smallpox Poster

British poster urges people to get free vaccinations at specific locations in Liverpool in 1851.

Artist’s interpretation of American public vaccinations in 1873.

Vaccinating the Poor

Artist’s interpretation of American public vaccinations in 1873.

Advertisement to join Anti-Vaccination Society of America in 1902.

Anti-Vaccination Society

Advertisement to join Anti-Vaccination Society of America in 1902.

The ghost of Death hovers over city councilmen.

Leicester Hospital

The ghost of Death, symbolizing the continued smallpox problem in Leicester in 1892, hovers over city councilmen, who indecisively debated isolation of infected people versus vaccinations.

Immigrant families were often the target of smallpox raids, like this 1901 skirmish in Milwaukee, WI.

Smallpox Raid

Immigrant families were often the target of smallpox raids, like this 1901 skirmish in Milwaukee, WI.

Laboratory worker in 1895 sterilizing chicken broth in autoclaves at the Pasteur Institute.

Pasteur Institute

Laboratory worker in 1895 sterilizing chicken broth in autoclaves at the Pasteur Institute, where diphtheria antitoxin was made.

German caricature illustrating von Behring’s late 19th century experiment with diphtheria toxin and horses.

von Behring Antitoxin

German caricature illustrating von Behring’s late 19th century experiment with diphtheria toxin and horses.

Maurice Brodie (top left); John Enders (top right); Jonas Salk (bottom left); Albert Sabin (bottom right).

Polio Virologists

Maurice Brodie (top left); John Enders (top right); Jonas Salk (bottom left); Albert Sabin (bottom right)

Newspaper headlines from 1955 about the polio vaccine and Dr. Jonas Salk.

Polio Headlines

Newspaper headlines from 1955 about the polio vaccine and Dr. Jonas Salk.

In this 1963 poster, 'Wellbee,' the CDC’s national symbol of public health.

Wellbee Poster

In this 1963 poster, “Wellbee,” the CDC’s national symbol of public health, encouraged the public to get an oral polio vaccination.

New York public service posters from the 1960s and 1970s.

Rubella Posters

New York public service posters from the 1960s and 1970s encouraging parents to vaccinate their children against Rubella.

Hasidic Jewish family in New York in 2013.

Hasidic Family

Hasidic Jewish family in New York in 2013.

Adaptation of a 1958 sci-fi horror film poster meant to suggest scientific organizations conspire to harm people.

Brain Eaters

Adaptation of a 1958 sci-fi horror film poster meant to suggest scientific organizations conspire to harm people through fluoride, mercury, and aspartame exposure.

British poster created before 1945 promoted diphtheria vaccinations.

Diphtheria Poster

British poster created before 1945 promoted diphtheria vaccinations.

Actors Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey holding a photo of McCarthy’s autistic son.

Anti-vaxxers

Actors Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey, holding a photo of McCarthy’s autistic son, at a 2008 anti-vaccination rally in Washington, D.C.

Anti-vaccination supporters at the 2008 'Green Our Vaccines' march in Washington, D.C.

Mercury Vaccine Protestors

Anti-vaccination supporters at the 2008 “Green Our Vaccines” march in Washington, D.C.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ 2010 chart illustrates how vaccinations can prevent disease outbreaks.

Herd Immunity

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ 2010 chart illustrates how vaccinations can prevent disease outbreaks.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) chart shows number of reported measles cases from September 30, 2018 to October 1, 2019.

CDC Measles Chart

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) chart shows number of reported measles cases from September 30, 2018 to October 1, 2019.

Infant in 1978 with skin lesions, indicative of hereditary rubella.

Rubella Lesions

Infant in 1978 with skin lesions, indicative of hereditary rubella.

This 1802 etching shows a horned monster being fed baskets of infants and excreting them to symbolize vaccination and its effects.

Vaccination Monster

This 1802 etching shows a horned monster being fed baskets of infants and excreting them to symbolize vaccination and its effects.

Pre-18th century Chinese vaccination method.

Chinese Vaccination

Pre-18th century Chinese vaccination method.

Vaccination rates and exemption status of American children 4-6 years old from 2016-2017.

School Vaccination Chart

Vaccination rates and exemption status of American children 4-6 years old from 2016-2017.

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