The Vaccine Race: How Scientists Used Human Cells to Combat Killer Viruses

An excellent account of the successful work resulting in virtual eradication of damaging viral diseases. It comes as a surprise that politics takes such a big part!

Not for the casual reader, it is ideal for medical historians, fact finding on the subject and those interested specifically in immunisation. It is very well written. 4 stars only because of the restricted readership.

Love this book, found it clear and easy to follow even with my limited knowledge of microbiology. Have recommended it to my friends.

Terrific read. Gives the lie to those vaccine deniers about the efficacy of vaccination.

Wow, this took me a good long while to read and I'm not sure I understood all the science facts. I did enjoy reading about the various routes to creating vaccines, plus the back stabbing and gossiping amongst the scientists involved. I wouldn't recommend this as a first steps in learning about vaccines, it is not light reading either mentally or physically. But it is very interesting in a history of the topic.

Excellent service and a fascinating book

all good

Until around 1970, tens of thousands of children suffered dreadful and crippling birth effects if their mothers had been exposed to rubella, German measles, while pregnant. No vaccine was available. Eventually, in 1964 a biologist in America developed the vaccine that effectively wiped out rubella. Since then, the cell lines that scientists have derived have protected billions from polio, measles, pox, measles, shingles, hepatitis A and adenovirus. Wadman has written a superb account of all this. She covers the science and the politics that almost stopped it. She examines the dilemmas of pregnant women who had been exposed to rubella. In addition, she explores the ethics of testing on infants, prisoners, orphans and the mentally disabled. The latter leaves a bitter taste. The author explains the difficulties in making vaccines effective. In 1942, 330,000 U. S. servicemen were exposed to hepatitis B virus in a yellow fever vaccine that was contaminated from donors plasma. Some 50,000 servicemen came down with the dangerous liver disease , and around 150 died. Other scandals revealed here involved polio vaccine and the Salk polio vaccine. About this time, young Hayflick, a scientist in Philadelphia building on work by a colleague, began work on cells to make antiviral vaccines. What he then did is told in engrossing detail. Wadman is a biomedical journalist. Her description of what is entailed in making effective vaccines is riveting and fascinating. She isn't afraid to reveal some unpleasant truths that many will find abhorrent. There were some appalling abuses of human subjects in America right up to the 1960s. Her analysis of the law regarding the biotechnology industry is also disturbing. In 2015, there were almost 400 US biotechnology companies, with $117 billion in revenue. Biology has become commercialised. Serious money is now being made out of inventions. Thankfully, Wadman's recognition of the work of scientists like John Enders, Jonas Salk, Leonard Hayflick, Stanley Plotkin and Henry Beecher helps to dilute the nasty taste that the above experiments leave. Wadman's magnificent book is essential reading for all interested in the fight to combat killer viruses. Highly recommended.

5 start for content. Best way to understand the pros n cons of Immunization. Based on facts. History of vaccine

Das Buch erscheint zu Anfang übertrieben langatmig. Die recht detaillierte Beschreibung der Lebensläufe und -umstände auch bei nicht wirklich handlungstragenden Personen , der Institutsgebäude etc. machen es erst einmal recht zäh, erzeugen dann aber dann doch die richtige Atmosphäre für das spätere Verständnis der verschiedenen Ereignisse. Der Titel ist dabei ein klein wenig irreführend, das Rennen um einen wirksamen Röteln-Impfstoff ist nur einer der verschiedenen Handlungsstränge. Eigentlich ist es mehr eine Biographie von Leonard Hayflick ("Hayflick-Limit", embryonale WI-38 Zelllinie), und beschreibt um seine Person herum gut die Zustände in dieser Zeit in Forschung und Studien-Durchführung, die Flut an neuen Erkenntnissen, und auch den Übergang der Biologie von einer "rein akademischen" zu einer Wissenschaft mit der sich durchaus auch Geld verdienen lässt. Also eher ein Werk der Zeitgeschichte als der Biologie oder Medizin an sich, aber gerade dadurch interessant, auch weil es auch die "dunklen Ecken", wie zB. Tests an Heimkindern, ausleuchtet. Vorkenntnisse in Biologie oder Immunologie sind zum Verständnis nicht erforderlich, trotzdem liefert es auch für auf diesen Gebieten schon "vorbelastete" Leser interessante Details.

Vaccines are controversial and This book lays bare the story of how the evolved to what they are today. Very interesting and insightful, whatever your stance .... highly recommended.

Scientific reporting at its best. Written as a professional novelist. Author brings in reader's interest to the subject. Thoroughly enjoyable. Inaightful.

Much to scientific for casual reader and not enough scientific for professional. Pulling towards pro-vaccination by omitting important facts on one side and going in to unbelievable details on the other side.