On Immunity: An Inoculation

I have had this book on my reader for a while. While scanning through the books available to me to read, I came across it. We have now been dealing with this COVID-19 Pandemic for over a year and seriously (in the US) for over 10 months. I definitely feel like this is a must read for our times. The various COVID-19 vaccines have become available and now everyone must decide for themselves if they will get one of them. I received my first dose a few days before I began reading this coincidentally.

"I am no longer fearless." She is a new mother who finds that the most perilous thing we may do is to bear children. No longer an entity contained within her skin, she sets off to determine the real risks inherent in inoculations, among other interventions in the modern world. she notes in a lucid voice, that to act is to start the future in motion, and to do nothing still sets that future in its course.I found this to be an amazing voice who has placed the fears and and anxieties of our modern medicine in the context of our existence as true beings in the whole of our world. Her various observations of the philosophy of immunizations are truly startling and clear in her well researched discussions of the role of science in our world.She makes a cogent argument for out inability to rationally assess true risk in the face of fear. In another instance, her discussion of "herd immunity" point to the obligation that those who have access to care have to those who do not. The risk of contagion is much higher for one person who is inoculated among many who are not than for a person not inoculated in a crowd of those who are. The more people who are protected, the more protection for those who are not protected. She also explores the continuum of our bodies with the world around us, and notes that toxicity to a scientist is one of degree of exposure. While she does not address the evils of high fructose syrup, plastics bleeding toxins or other villains in definitive terms; she does point out that each threat must be taken in context.This is a book that challenges the mind without torturing the reader with obscure or overly technical writing. The education on risk, immunity, ad the role of medicine in our world is succinct and at times lyrical. I cannot recommend this book too highly.

The rating of this book depends on the objective of the reader. For someone with the intention of gaining the historical insight of vaccinations, this book certainly would be a favorable read. For someone like myself, searching for information to gain perspective in regards to vaccinating without a biased view- one with only facts- I was somewhat let down.The book is written well. I'm certainly not an expert reader with a high standard of literary excellence, especially in a non-fiction book I purchased to gain information. The book flows nicely, I didn't mind reading it, and she interjects different topics and stories throughout. Her notes in the back I found interesting- neat feature of the book. Her explanation of herd immunity was also interesting. I believe her facts are true, even though her position is in the forefront and her facts support her own opinion.As another reviewer mentioned- I wish it was expressed that the book certainly was not objective, but was very pro-vaccines. I probably wouldn't had purchased, so I guess their marketing worked. I was looking for unbiased- due to the fact it is nearly impossible to find unbiased websites without fear mongering, on either side of the issue.I related with the author when she spoke about her worries; PVC in her child's mattress, parabens in lotions, etc. When pregnant with my first child, I meticulously researched these things for the safety of my own child. With my second, my research focused on looking into vaccines. I also related with the book when she wrote of the lack of trust. Which spoke directly to my mistrust of government, pharmaceutical companies, etc. We don't share the same views, but that certainly is a topic to cover, even though she didn't really dive into that as much.She throws Dr. Sears under the bus and very critical of him. I don't agree here. I have read The Vaccine Book and I don't agree with everything in it but I appreciated Dr. Sear's empathy and his mission. I don't see him as a horrible doctor that is serving the anti-vax movement; I see him as trying to accommodate to the differing families out there- trying to convince some to vaccinate which may not have vaccinated at all without his book. I actually got more from his book that this one, to be honest.Although the author specifically wanted to reach the mothers reading her book, I felt disconnected to that concept. I see how she wanted her writing to be fact-based, which I appreciate. She must have been passionate about this topic to have researched it in such a way and to publish a book about it, I would have wanted to hear about more of her thought process about this topic, as a mother. She must have had doubts and had come across some information that may had challenged her position to fully vaccinate her child- but we don't really hear that. We do read, as she describes her traumatic birth, that her son was not vaccinated again Hep B but we don't hear as to WHY she decided that. We hear how she later changed her view on doing that- citing risk to her baby through nursing after having a blood transfusion, but I wish she spoke of why she made that initial decision to wait. (This very well may be in her notes section of her book but I haven't gotten the chance to read all of that yet.)I purchased this book two days before my son was due to get his 2 month vaccinations. I was hoping this book would provide me with more information that I could walk into that doctor's office with confidence. That in my heart, while comforting my son while getting his shots, I was doing the right thing. I am a mother that purchases organic foods, buys toys that are safe,uses safe cleaning products, etc., but those are easy decisions for a consumer. This decision is tough for me. The author speaks of "toxins", goes on to list how all of these dangerous products are already around our homes and in our breastmilk, seemingly encouraging the reader to vaccinate because we are already contaminated and living an illusion of "purity". That may be true, but that certainly doesn't make me feel at ease with injecting even more "toxins"- I think critically about that and do not take it lightly.I also want to express the privilege I have living in the time and place that I do. The book describes the hardships of these mothers and fathers, desperate to keep their children safe; describing a family that put cow pus on their bodies for protection, while horrifying their neighbors. Parents my age have the luxury to have not seen polio and other diseases, and whether it is seen as disgraceful to developing nations that I have the opportunity to decline vaccinations that are available for me and my family and not them, I'm lucky to have the choice. The author also describes when government mandated vaccinations occurred.In all, yesterday was my son's appointment and he got all of his shots. When it came down to it- I can't trust people around me to protect my child. Did this book help me choose, no. I discussed it thoroughly with my doctor and weighed the risks and rewards- as we do often in our lives. This decision wasn't taken lightly by me, it was hard to sleep last night and I'm still worrying about it today.Also, please don't comment on my review and say I injected poison into my kid and will give him autism or something, spare me the guilt and anxiety.

When I first started this in November, 2021, I was sort of dubious. What could someone writing say 8 years ago say to us, living as we are in covid land? A lot. I, for one, was unaware of the history of vaccine résistance. Yes, I knew that anti-vaxxers existed. I got it, sort of. Do enough research on anything medical and you run into lots of things. A certain amount of skepticism is natural and healthy. We live in the land of Big Pharma and medicine as a profit making enterprise. What this book added to the mix was an understanding of the long standing fear of pollution, seen broadly as impurity. Impure food, impure thoughts. Violation in all forms. Needles as a violation and perhaps introducing impurity. Reading this, I can now more fully appreciate how hard it is for those charged with changing the minds of the vaccine hesitant. Modern propaganda is being laid on top of very old taboos.

On Immunity is a mother’s perspective on vaccination; a dive into whether it’s a good idea to immunize your children, and whether vaccines “immunize” them at all. She goes into (well balanced, I thought) detail about the benefits and perils of medicine.I found the argument undercut by the author’s strange and sometimes neurotic behavior. One section of the book has her running into an operating theatre, starting a dispute with a doctor who is performing surgery on her son. She seems to imply that he didn’t anesthetize her child properly as some sort of revenge against her.Another instance has the author calling her husband in tears because she fears that her son’s mattress may contain chemicals that could kill him. Stories like these come across as anxious to an extreme, and make it difficult to take the author seriously.

This was a great book I read over the weekend about infections and plagues, that to be honest, I had no interest in really reading about. I just saw it was a quick read and figured I'd give it a shot. The content however is a real page turner. It's also the only book I've heard reference Donna haraway. I read a book of hers years ago and for some reason it made me smile to see her name again. This book talks to two points. Analogy and specifics. Which means you both feel well informed, and entertained. It made me pity people who don't get their children vaccinated though, but like all things in life, at a certain point in time... You always run into a few idiots.

An interesting view on vaccines and immunity from a simple but effective perspective.The information is fully referenced and detailed in the notes at the end of the book.Neutral, well written, enjoyable and with a sound scientific approach. As suggested by the title, it's an inoculation, not a full dissertation on the topic.

I'm vehemently pro-vaccinations, but appreciated the balanced approach the author took in exploring the subject and providing the sociocultural context behind the current vaccination debate. I particularly appreciated the literary comparisons she drew as well as the historical information regarding how vaccinations were developed. Bliss ultimately rests in favour of vaccinations, but this book helped me to understand and empathize with the other side of the debate. I think that this is a great and informative read whatever your current level of knowledge and/or opinion is of vaccinations.

I was required to read this book for a course on immunity and infectious disease, and I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable it was. Eula Biss is down to earth about her own family's concerns with trusting the medical system, but she presents extremely useful information in a non-threatening way. I enjoyed reading this book.