Over the last few months, we have been using different people from the history of…
Tag: Diphtheria
If you have ever seen a case of diphtheria, then you know how life-threatening and…
Loney Clinton Gordon has an important role to play in the development of the vaccine against pertussis (whooping cough). She formed part of a three-woman team who worked on the vaccine.
A find at an old map store leads to a story of a diphtheria epidemic in Vermont in 1879.
A few days ago, we posted about the measles epidemic in Madagascar and how the number of deaths had passed 1,200 cases, most of them children. One of the things that I found striking about the situation there is the cost of the measles vaccine. It is so expensive that families with several children often weigh which child will get the one vaccine dose they can afford. A family makes about $2 per day, with a vaccine dose costing upwards of $15. Imagine having to work more than two weeks to afford a single vaccine that can save your child’s life.