Science and society: vaccines and public health

Abstract

Most public health research is devoted to the measurement of disease burdens and of the costs and effectiveness of control measures. The history of immunization provides many colourful examples of various ways in which such measurements are made, of how they have influenced policies, and of the importance of public perception of the magnitudes of the various burdens, benefits and risks. Improving the public's ability to evaluate evidence is itself an important aspect of public health.

Keywords: Immunization; Measurement; Media; Perception; Smallpox; Swine influenza; Typhoid; Vaccination; Variolation.