The lay person wondering if vaccination for childhood diseases is a good idea might become convinced after taking a long walk in an old cemetery. Count the number of markers or headstones for infants and children. Before vaccines, child mortality soared close to 50 percent. For every two children born, one died. 

It’s well documented in the scientific literature that vaccines save lives. A trio of learning opportunities this spring underscore that simple fact. 

• “Rashes to Research: Scientists and Parents Confront the 1964 Rubella Epidemic”
  National Library of Medicine Traveling Exhibit
  March 31- May 10  

A National Library of Medicine exhibit, on view in the Special Collections Reading Room, explores the rubella epidemic of 1964-65. 20,000 children were born with serious heart, hearing, and vision problems related to rubella exposure during pregnancy. Tens of thousands more families lost or terminated their pregnancies. Some of the parents of children born with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) resisted the institutionalization of their children, then the standard of care for people with disabilities. These so-called “rubella mothers” became early advocates on behalf of people with disabilities. While society and families coped with the aftermath of rubella, scientists worked on a vaccine, which was approved for use in 1969. 

•  “Pandemic Richmond"
  Opening April 1
  This exhibit on loan from the Valentine explores storms of diseases that have swept through the city. From influenza to cholera, from polio to AIDS/HIV, the exhibition investigates how Richmonders have fought silent, invisible enemies and tells their stories of loss and survival. The exhibit, originally developed in 2018, has been updated to include the COVID-19 pandemic and will be on view in the first floor gallery. 

• RealLife Film Series: Vaccination from the Misinformation Virus Wednesday, April 9, 12:15 - 1:45 p.m. 

The film sheds light on how misinformation about the value of vaccines. It          sheds light on how to overcome biases to understand why vaccines are safe, essential for community health, and save millions of lives each year. The program highlights how viruses spread, how they are contained, and the history of vaccine development. It also explains how vaccines work and explores their potential future applications. For more information: https://themisinformationvirus.com/