Waiting for the Vaccine

From The New Yorker’s archive: stories about the impact of vaccinations and the consequences of anti-vax propaganda. View in browser | Update your preferences Waiting for the Vaccine In 1947, The New Yorker published a Comment about Israel Weinstein, New York City's health commissioner, and his attempts to combat misinformation surrounding the city’s plan to vaccinate millions of residents during a rapidly spreading outbreak of smallpox. That spring, more than 6.3 million New Yorkers were vaccinated; it was among the largest mass-vaccination efforts to fight the disease in the United States. Weinstein, a doctor, remarked that he had been steadily denying inaccurate rumors ever since the campaign began. Some skeptics claimed that the vaccine killed more people than the disease (false), while others insisted that, as long as someone’s blood was “pure,” he could avoid infection. (“One man said he kept his blood pure by eating carrots.”) As we enter a new phase in America’s battle against COVID, Weinstein’s observations from nearly seventy-five years ago continue to resonate. This week, we’re bringing you a selection of pieces about the impact of vaccinations and the consequences of anti-vax propaganda. In “The Plague Year,” Lawrence Wright offers a comprehensive look at the mistakes behind America’s COVID response and the work of virologists to combat the pandemic. In “Countdown to a Coronavirus Vaccine,” Carolyn Kormann reports on the progress of medical treatments and explores the complexities of nationwide vaccine distribution. In “The Deadly Cost of America’s Pandemic Politics,” Dhruv Khullar examines the damage done by the misinformation movement against vaccinations. Finally, in “How to Think About Vaccines,” Amanda Schaffer writes about the roots of vaccine anxiety. In a moment of political instability, these pieces are a reminder that protecting the health of our nation must go on—unimpeded. — David Remnick From The New Yorker’s Archive Comment New York City’s Smallpox Scare The city’s health commissioner, whose office inoculated more than six million New Yorkers over the course of a month, discusses mass vaccination, sore arms, and hysteria. By Brendan Gill and Spencer Klaw | May 24, 1947 A Reporter at Large The Plague Year The mistakes and the struggles behind America’s coronavirus tragedy. By Lawrence Wright | January 4, 2021 Coronavirus Chronicles Countdown to a Coronavirus Vaccine The race is nearly complete, but distributing the doses will be a breathtaking challenge. By Carolyn Kormann | December 14, 2020 Medical Dispatch The Deadly Cost of America’s Pandemic Politics Vaccines are on the way, but until they arrive tens of thousands of lives depend on the battle for public opinion. By Dhruv Khullar | December 8, 2020 Annals of Technology How to Think About Vaccines In her book “On Immunity,” Eula Biss argues that vaccines are not “unnatural.” By Amanda Schaffer | September 26, 2014 This e-mail was sent to you by The New Yorker. To insure delivery, we recommend adding newyorker@newsletters.newyorker.com, to your contacts, while noting that it is a no-reply address. Please send all newsletter feedback to tnyinbox@newyorker.com. For more from The New Yorker, sign up for our newsletters, shop the store, and sign in to newyorker.com, where subscribers always have unlimited access. Contact us with questions. View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2020. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.