Continuity and discontinuity in positions around vaccination

Abstract

In this paper the author presents a brief history of vaccination. From the first vaccinations in the 18th century to the recent vaccine disputes, the author traces the history of vaccination and anti-vaccine movements, showing that the controversies involved very different aspects and referred to different values and principles: religious, political, and medical. Distinguishing between the different types of arguments provides a better understanding of the reasons for resistance to vaccines and the dialectic between science and pseudoscience.