David Miles, a British immunologist, joins the Plutopia podcast to discuss vaccines and vaccine hesitancy, sharing insights from his book, How Vaccines Work. The conversation covers the history of vaccine development, from artisanal methods in the 1930s to modern techniques. Miles addresses the current skepticism towards vaccines, explaining that while no vaccine works perfectly for everyone, they have historically been game-changers in public health. He emphasizes the importance of transparent communication to dispel myths and provide factual knowledge, allowing people to make informed decisions. Miles also touches on the challenges of vaccine distribution, particularly in low-income regions, and highlights the need for better ventilation in public spaces to reduce virus transmission. The discussion reflects on the evolution of vaccine technology and public perception, aiming to bridge the gap between scientific understanding and public awareness.
Wendy Grossman discusses David and his book in “The Skeptical Inquirer.”
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David Miles:
Back in the 1930s, most vaccines were done in universities, or actually a lot of them were done in the Institut Pasteur specifically, at that point. At the same time, there was this sort of artisanal vaccine development thing going on where people who had an outbreak in their general area would try and culture whatever microbe was causing it and then kill it and then inject it as a vaccine. I mean, fundamentally, that’s how vaccines work. You take the microbe that causes the disease, you do something to it so it can’t cause the disease, but it can trigger the immune memory to it. And then you give it to people and if it works, it protects them. Most people doing this really didn’t have a clue what they were doing and probably a lot of them probably did more harm than good.