What history teaches us about vaccines and pandemics

Abstract

The history of immunisation is full of heroes but also full of villains, and our successes are tempered by tragedies. Despite the urgent need for a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, we should not neglect the lessons of history. These include ethical issues relating to vaccine safety, such as the possible risks of vaccine-induced enhancement witnessed with dengue vaccine in the Philippines, and how our decisions may be represented by the anti-vaxx movement.