This summer concludes my first year as a full-time grad student in epidemiology. As Kate Winslet in Contagion and anyone else who has ever studied in this field knows, epi often starts with a healthy overview of both chronic and infectious disease topics.
Infectious disease epi answered all my most pressing questions: why is seasonal flu so different from pandemic? Why can oysters make you sick? Should we be horrified that aedes aegypti mosquitoes are evolving to survive everywhere?* WHAT WAS THE DEAL WITH EBOLA?
Then came the vaccination pitch: Immunizations are one of the ten greatest public health achievements of the 20th century, and have enabled the control or eradication of smallpox, polio, measles, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria, Flu B . . . sold. Sign me up to be one of those crazy “vaccine champions,” full of feels toward “those” moms who refuse to play nice and get their kids their shots.
Read Full Article »