Eula Biss (Notes from No Man's Land) proposes that "immunity is a shared space--a garden we tend together." In On Immunity, she hopes to promote a balanced discussion on the merits and perils of vaccination and raises questions about social class and community responsibility.
On Immunity opens with Greek and Roman mythology (Achilles), German legend (Siegfried) and fairy tales (Rapunzel) to exemplify the long history of mothers who have attempted to "inoculate" their children against the dangers of the world. Biss then expertly weaves a historical account with contemporary fears and her own story. After giving birth to her son, Biss quickly realized the wisdom of historian Michael Willrich's observation: "Perceptions of risk--the intuitive judgments that people make about the hazards of their world--can be stubbornly resistant to the evidence of experts." Her first-person narrative provides an intimate--but still academic--discourse about the ramifications a decision to forgo vaccinations has not only on individual child in question, but on the "herd immunity" of the community at large.
Her discussion is even-handed, even when she reflects on her own fears as a new mother raising a son with allergies and chemical sensitivities. The issues surrounding class, privilege and conscience are thought-provoking and not easily dismissed by the heightened rhetoric and metaphorical language that often surrounds vaccination. Biss respectfully presents the broad spectrum of issues surrounding contemporary thoughts on inoculation, and while her own conclusions are evident, she invites a dialogue rather than presents a definitive proclamation. --Kristen Galles from Book Club Classics