Pro-vax: Supporting Vaccines through Activism, Petitions, and Trials

«With Pro-vax, Samantha Vanderslott opens a whole new avenue of research. This thought-provoking book will be a landmark for years to come as the research community moves towards a richer understanding of contemporary debates surrounding vaccination.» (Dr Jeremy Ward, Chargé de Recherche, INSERM)

«Vanderslotts book, Pro-vax, sheds light on the important dimension of positive activism around vaccination, which is against the tide of a challenging environment that she also considers in her thoughtful, well-written book.» (Professor Heidi Larson, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, LSHTM)

«This book tackles a distinction we have taken for granted for too long: that between anti-vaccine and pro-vaccine attitudes. Building on her longstanding expertise in the history and politics of vaccination, Samantha Vanderslott provides a compelling account of pro-vaccine movements. By shifting our attention to those who express public support for vaccination, and away from those who do not, this book represents a unique intervention in both scholarly and political discourse. With its use of historical sources, images, and accessible language, the book will be invaluable for scholars of vaccination and vaccine advocates alike.» (Assistant Professor, Katharina T. Paul, Department of Political Science, University of Vienna)

Vaccination is both a social activity on a grand scale and an experience that is very personal and individual. Add to the mix the understanding of vaccination in culture, the media, and others around us in society, and attitudes to vaccination become quite complex. For a long time, the concentration has been on attitudes to vaccination by those who are in opposition (the «anti-vax»), neglecting the majority who are supportive. This book aims to reconsider vaccination as a phenomenon from the perspective of those who are «pro-vax», who actively support and vocally promote vaccines. Using contemporary and historical examples, the book explores public support of vaccination, focusing on civil society in action through activism, petitions, and trials.