Maurice Hilleman's mother died a day after he was born and his twin sister stillborn. As an adult, he said that he felt he had escaped an appointment with death. He made it his life's work to see that others could do the same. Born into the life of a Montana chicken farmer, Hilleman ran off to the University of Chicago to become a microbiologist, and eventually joined Merck, the pharmaceutical company, to pursue his goal of eliminating childhood disease. Chief among his accomplishments are nine vaccines that practically every child gets, rendering formerly dread diseases--including often devastating ones such as mumps and rubella--practically toothless and nearly forgotten; his measles vaccine alone saves several million lives every year.

Vaccinated is not a biography; Hilleman's experience forms the basis for a rich and lively narrative of two hundred years of medical history, ranging across the globe and throughout time to take in a cast of hundreds, all caught up, intentionally or otherwise, in the story of vaccines. It is an inspiring and triumphant tale, but one with a cautionary aspect, as vaccines come under assault from people blaming vaccines for autism and worse. Paul Offit clearly and compellingly rebuts those arguments, and, by demonstrating how much the work of Hilleman and others has gained for humanity, shows us how much we have to lose.

Customer Reviews:

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

A visit to a different world... the US 60 years ago:

I love this book. I appreciate the realistic portrayal of Maurice Hilleman and his contemporaries, and how realistic the portrayal of the way vaccines were created in the 1950's, including the fact that the scientists tested out the vaccines on themselves and their families. I think I will always remember the pictures of Hilleman's daughters including the one who had been the host of the mumps virus that her father turned into a vaccine for mumps. It is officially called the Jeryl Lynn mumps strain even... more info

Think for YOURSELF! Question EVERYTHING.:

One of many books that can be considered backlash as a result of people beginning to think for themselves and say no to govt. forced vaccinations. Unfortunately, it's just easier for the masses to give in and be had...and spoonfed someone else's opinion, rather than think for one's self, do the research and stand up against the bandwagon mentality of conforming to the popular rather than the rational. We live in NJ and trust our child's powerful immune system and our own ability as responsible parents to... more info

The author makes millions on vaccine royalties.:

Paul Offit is the co-inventor of a rotavirus vaccine recently recommended for universal use in infants by the CDC. In most places, this can mean vaccination at gunpoint.
Rotavirus should never be a fatal disease, it is spread by feces, like Polio. Dying of rotavirus means that the child was allowed to starve/dehydrate, and is a result of improper diagnoses and care. Most of the diseases that are vaccinated against could simply be prevented by not eating feces. Get that John Q Public? The food you eat... more info

Vaccinated:

This is the GREATEST book! I have bought 5 more for friends & family members. I wish EVERYONE would read this book- especially in this day & age when people are getting more wary of vaccines.

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