The ‘single shot’ MMR combined vaccine is one of the biggest achievements in childhood infectious disease prevention, directly responsible for saving millions of lives. Fast-forward to the late 1990s, just as communication was becoming increasingly digital - encouraged by lawyers and his own alternative vaccine patent, a fraudulent paper was published by Andrew Wakefield in a highly respected medical journal falsely linking the jab to autism in children. No one could have predicted the devastating effects this would go on to have on MMR vaccine hesitancy for generations to come, the effects of which pervade to this day.

We talk to Professor Beate Kampmann about how an estimated 94 million deaths have been prevented, and the challenges for distribution and the inefficiencies of medical systems. Professor Helen Bedford talks about communication around vaccines and how empathy and understanding of skepticism will save more lives than dismission or derision.

Contributor Notes

- Prof Beate Kampmann on the MMR vaccines evolution and power https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/aboutus/people/kampmann.beate

- Journalist Brian Deer - on Andrew Wakefield and his devastating fraud linking the measles vaccine and autism https://briandeer.com/

- Prof. Helen Bedford on the key to building trust as measles outbreaks happen more regularly https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/6707-helen-bedford

In this episode we look at the fight against polio from ‘The March of the Dimes’ - a famous episode in the history of mass immunisation in which ordinary Americans were inspired to fundraise for research that would go on to end Polio in the US. Professor Dora Vargha leads us through a lesser-told chapter of that story, which is the astonishing international cooperation between US and Soviet scientists at the height of the Cold War.

We look at the current challenges with wild polio in Pakistan and Afghanistan with Dr. Hanan Balkhy, regional WHO director, examining how immunisation levels can be approved through distribution, technology and societal changes. Celebrating a story of success, we talk to Dr. Tunji Funsho about how we achieved Polio eradication in Nigeria, including lessons from engaging community leaders, celebrities and parents to achieve grass-roots community support.

Guests featured:

- Prof Dora Vargha - science historian on the forgotten story of medical co-operation across the iron curtain and a heroic push to end polio. https://arch-history.exeter.ac.uk/history/profile/index.php?username=dv251

- Dr Hanan Balkhy - WHO Regional director for the mediterranean on the challenge to rid Pakistan and Afghanistan of wild polio https://hananbalkhy.info/

- Dr. Tunji Funsho - Rotary Representative for the African Region and expert on Nigerian polio eradication on the power of understanding community in fighting polio. https://www.rotary.org/en/rotarian-tunji-funsho-named-one-of-times-100-most-influential-people-world

In this episode we confront a new reality for vaccines post Covid. On the one hand, the acceleration of science thanks to mRna derived vaccine design - that allowed the Moderna team in the US to respond in just 66 days. On the other, the rapid spread of misinformation and disinformation fuelled by social media.

We hear from Dr Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire about the early days of Covid-19 and the work in developing the vaccine. Dr Yasmin talks to Dr. Céline Gounder who found herself tangled in this new reality of conspiracy theories, as she dealt with the tragic and sudden death of her late husband, sports writer Grant Wahl. Looking to the future we examine what we can do about human behaviour in the spread of misinformation to limit it in the future through the successful work being done on “pre-bunking” from Dr Sander van der Linden and Dr Melisa Basol.

Notes on Guests featured:

- Dr Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire, head of the NIH’s vaccine design response team working with Moderna. https://www.instagram.com/kizzyphd/?hl=en

- Dr. Céline Gounder - Public health specialist and vaccine advocate https://www.celinegounder.com/

- Dr Sander Van Der Linden - discussing his work on ‘prebunking’ harmful mis and disinformation online https://www.sandervanderlinden.com/about

- Dr Melisa Basol - on a new future fuelled by toxic online mis and disinformation https://www.pulselab.uk/