On Immunity

Buchzusammenfassung

Eula Biss is a non-fiction writer. She has won various awards such as the Rona Jaffe Writers' Award, the Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize, and the Pushcart Prize. She is a fellow of the National Endowment of the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation.

In industrialized societies, vaccine hesitancy often stems from a preference for what is perceived as "natural" and healthier, driven by a nostalgia for a pre-industrial era and fears of environmental chemicals. This mindset frames vaccinations as unnatural intrusions that disrupt the perceived purity of infants’ bodies, contrasting them with immunity gained through natural infections. Some parents even resort to extreme measures, like exposing their children to chickenpox through infected lollipops, to pursue what they see as a more "natural" path to immunity. However, this perspective overlooks the fact that vaccines rely on the body’s natural immune response, triggering antibody production in alignment with innate biological processes. Social identity further influences vaccine decisions, as certain diseases are stigmatized and associated with marginalized groups, leading some to reject preventative measures to avoid such associations. For instance, the hepatitis B vaccine was initially targeted at "high-risk groups" like drug users and sex workers, which limited its impact on infection rates until mass immunization efforts broadened its reach. These intertwined perceptions of naturalness and social stigma continue to shape attitudes toward vaccination.

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