The blog puts current events in historical perspective. Think of it as the "first draft" of vaccine history, before that history moves to a more permanent place on History of Vaccines.
Please note: Blog posts published prior to January 1, 2016 have been archived. If you are interested in reading those blog posts, you can find them through Archive.org or email vaccines@collegeofphysicians.org to request a copy of individual blog posts.
Does Education Really Make People More Pro-Vaccine? What the Research Shows
June 9, 2025
When “Sarah,” a nurse with a master's degree, gets her annual flu shot without a second thought, while her neighbor "Jake", who dropped out of high school, refuses all vaccines for his family, it might seem like education is the deciding factor. This scenario, while fictional, reflects patterns that researchers...
The First Pandemic in the Age of Trains and Telegrams
June 2, 2025
Imagine waking up one morning in 1889 to read in your local newspaper that a mysterious illness was spreading rapidly across Europe, shutting down schools and offices as it moved from city to city along the railway lines. For people living in the late 1800s, this scenario became reality...
How Two Key Committees Shape America’s Immunization Policy
May 28, 2025
When you roll up your sleeve to get your annual flu shot or when parents take their children for routine vaccinations, a careful scientific process has already determined that these vaccines are both safe and necessary. Behind these recommendations stand two crucial but often overlooked committees that have been quietly...
The Remarkable Journey of Immunology
May 23, 2025
Imagine if your body had its own army, with specialized soldiers, intelligence officers, and memory units that could recognize and fight off invaders. This isn’t science fiction—it’s your immune system, and understanding how it works has been one of humanity’s greatest scientific adventures. The story of immunology (the study of...
Isabel Zendal: The First Public Health Nurse
May 9, 2025
Isabel Cendala y Gómez (sometimes anglicized to Isabel Zendal), a nurse from 18th-century Spain, became an unsung public health hero when she joined the Balmis Expedition, the world’s first international vaccination campaign. Her work with orphaned children, who were used to carry the smallpox vaccine from Europe to the...
Papal Patronage: A History of Vatican Leadership in Vaccine Science and Public Health
April 21, 2025
With the passing of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025, we decided to post the following blog post about the role of the Catholic Church in the history of vaccines ahead of schedule. This post was initially going to be part of a series on the roles of major...
Religious Perspectives on Vaccination: Understanding Faith Traditions and the Texas Measles Outbreak
April 11, 2025
The recent measles outbreak in Texas, which has tragically resulted in the deaths of two unvaccinated children, raises important questions about how religious beliefs influence vaccination decisions. As of the latest reports, at least 700 measles cases have been confirmed in four US states and the Mexican State of Chihuahua...
Washington's War Against Smallpox: The Revolutionary Inoculation Campaign
April 7, 2025
In the annals of the American Revolutionary War, we often focus on the military tactics, political maneuvering, and battlefield heroics that secured independence. However, one of General George Washington’s most consequential decisions had nothing to do with troop formations or artillery placement. Instead, it involved a bold medical intervention that...
The 1989 Los Angeles Edmonston-Zagreb Measles Vaccine Study and Its Legacy
February 24, 2025
OverviewDuring the 1989–1991 U.S. measles epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Kaiser Permanente conducted a clinical trial in Los Angeles testing the Edmonston-Zagreb (E-Z) measles vaccine on nearly 1,500 predominantly Black and Latino infants. The study aimed to compare the experimental E-Z vaccine, used...
Top Ten Anti-Vaccine Myths Debunked, Again
February 21, 2025
Before diving into the details of anti-vaccine rhetoric, let's establish a foundational truth: vaccines rank among medicine's greatest achievements, preventing millions of deaths annually. By some estimates, vaccines have saved over 150 million lives in the last 50 years. That’s 150 million who are our neighbors, friends, and...