1/ A 2001 @NEJM article discussed the 1901-1903 smallpox epidemic in Boston, efforts to control it via compulsory vaccination, & the corresponding vaccine controversy. bit.ly/3iveKVK
2/ This table from the article shows the distribution of smallpox cases in Boston throughout the epidemic, & how events such as forced vaccination of the homeless, house-to-house vaccination, & the defeat of anti-vaccination bills affected the case count.
Ensuring as many people as possible were vaccinated was crucial in Boston in the early 1900s––just as it is now. This cartoon illustrates doctors going from house-to-house to vaccinate people & depicts the different responses individuals had to these visits.
5/ “Every generation has generated its own anti-vaccinationism based on very similar concerns,” says @jonathanberman. Religious objections, worries about government overreach, & fear of childhood illness were all concerns both 200 years ago and today.
6/ To learn more about the eradication of smallpox, look out for Season 2 of @EPIDEMICpodcast: “Target Zero: The Race to Eradicate Smallpox.” This docuseries podcast will dive into how smallpox was wiped from the face of the earth.
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1/ @WhiteHouse has started pressuring social media companies to crack down on the spread of vaccine mis- & disinformation, specifically THE DISINFORMATION DOZEN, responsible for ~65% of vaccine misinformation, reported @donie for @CNNBusiness. cnn.it/3rvEjKI
2/ @CCDHate has identified the dozen super-spreaders of anti vaccine misinformation & called on @Facebook & @Twitter to shut down their accounts. Among the dozen is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who despite being deplatformed on @Instagram, is still active on FB with 300K followers.
3/ So far, CCDH has identified & helped deplatform 35 social media accounts tied to the dozen, losing them ~5.8M followers. 62 accounts with ~8.4M followers are still active.