The Maine Millennial: Vaccine offers welcome relief
A dose of protection is a great way to start a new, post-COVID year.
By Victoria Hugo-Vidal
Share
I like vaccines. I’ve always been a big fan, ever since I read the story of Dr. Edward Jenner in the children’s encyclopedia we kept in the family room. I thought he was so smart, and the little boy who received the very first smallpox inoculation, James Phipps, was so brave. (Technically the history of inoculation and vaccination is more complex and detailed, but I was 7.) And that success grew into what I believe to be the most significant scientific development in the history of humankind (after the taming of fire and the invention of the wheel, I guess) – the ability to train our own immune systems to fight off disease without actually suffering from the disease.