Vaccinated: From Cowpox to mRNA, the Remarkable Story of Vaccines

by Paul A. Offit MD Narrated by Tim Dixon

Overview

Updated with a New Foreword

""Medical writing at its finest.""-David Oshinsky, author of Polio and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for History

Respected physician Paul Offit tells a fascinating story of modern medicine and pays tribute to one of the greatest lifesaving breakthroughs-vaccinations-and the medical hero responsible for developing nine of the big fourteen vaccines which have saved billions of lives worldwide.

Maurice Hilleman's mother died a day after he was born and his twin sister was stillborn. Believing that he had escaped an appointment with death, he made it his life's work to see that others could do the same. The fruits of his labors were nine vaccines that practically every child receives, everyday miracles of modern medicine that have eradicated some of the most common-and devastating-diseases, including mumps and rubella.

Offit, a vaccine researcher himself who co-invented the rotavirus vaccine, befriended Hilleman and, during the great man's final months, interviewed him extensively about his life and career. Those conversations are the heart of Vaccinated. In telling Hilleman's story, Offit takes us around the globe and across time, from the days of Louis Pasteur, to today, when a childhood vaccine can protect women from cervical cancer and stop a deadly pandemic like Covid-19. Yet these preventative treatments have come under increasing attack from both the left and right, and the anti-vaxxer movement that began with false reports over autism is growing at an alarming rate, threatening society's well-being, and especially those whose conditions prevent them from being vaccinated.*

Offit makes an eloquent and compelling case for Hilleman's importance, arguing that his name should be as well-known as Jonas Salk. Vaccinated reminds us of the value of vaccines and the power of science to save lives and protect our well-being.

Editorial Reviews

APRIL 2022 - AudioFile

At a time when misinformation about vaccines is rampant, Dr. Paul Offit’s excellent history of immunization deserves a revival. The measured tone and news-anchor authority of Tim Dixon’s narration is a perfect match for the subject matter. The book was first published in 2007, and this new audio edition includes a foreword that places it in the context of COVID-19. It tells the story from the perspective of Maurice Hilleman, who played a key role in developing eight vaccines that have saved millions of lives, though he remains largely unknown to the public. The audiobook concludes with a thoughtful discussion of the anti-vaccine movement. Dixon’s tone maintains Dr. Offit’s empathy for those who are hesitant, yet he systematically dismantles unscientific ideas. D.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

From the Publisher

"Medical writing at its finest." — David Oshinsky, author of Polio and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for History

"An enlightening glimpse into the complex interface between public health and private industry, chronicling the ability of a singularly tenacious person to save more lives than perhaps any other scientist in history." — New England Journal of Medicine

"Offit gives the reader a window into the key scientific advances that have led to the modern age of vaccines. . . . [It] is a compelling story. . . . Offit brings interesting perspective to the characters of the time." — Journal of the American Medical Association

“This extraordinarily fine, well-researched, and beautifully written book deserves the widest possible readership. More physicians should write this well.” — Choice magazine

Journal of the American Medical Association

"Offit gives the reader a window into the key scientific advances that have led to the modern age of vaccines. . . . [It] is a compelling story. . . . Offit brings interesting perspective to the characters of the time."

New England Journal of Medicine

"An enlightening glimpse into the complex interface between public health and private industry, chronicling the ability of a singularly tenacious person to save more lives than perhaps any other scientist in history."

Choice magazine

This extraordinarily fine, well-researched, and beautifully written book deserves the widest possible readership. More physicians should write this well.

David Oshinsky

"Medical writing at its finest."

APRIL 2022 - AudioFile

At a time when misinformation about vaccines is rampant, Dr. Paul Offit’s excellent history of immunization deserves a revival. The measured tone and news-anchor authority of Tim Dixon’s narration is a perfect match for the subject matter. The book was first published in 2007, and this new audio edition includes a foreword that places it in the context of COVID-19. It tells the story from the perspective of Maurice Hilleman, who played a key role in developing eight vaccines that have saved millions of lives, though he remains largely unknown to the public. The audiobook concludes with a thoughtful discussion of the anti-vaccine movement. Dixon’s tone maintains Dr. Offit’s empathy for those who are hesitant, yet he systematically dismantles unscientific ideas. D.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940176352429
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	02/01/2022
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	1,060,639

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