Yet today only four companies make vaccines, and there is a growing crisis in vaccine. The cutter incident how americas first polio vaccine led to the growing vaccine crisis. The cutter incident vaccines have saved more lives than any other single medical advance. What the antivaxers always forget to mention is that the 1952 epidemic saw 58,000 cases reported, of which 21,269 resulted in paralysis and 3,145 in death. Uscgc vigilant wmec 617 is a united states coast guard medium endurance cutter. Paul offit talked about his book the cutter incident. This remarkable book recounts for the first time a devastating episode in 1955 at cutter laboratories in berkeley, california, that has led many pharmaceutical. How americas first polio vaccine led to the growing vaccine crisis, published by yale university press. Dowdlemicrobethe book is very well written and reads almost like a detective story, with a nice balance between personal anecdotes and new materials not discussed in other accounts of the cutter incident. Offit presents a powerful case for a far more enlightened approach to the development and use of lifesaving vaccines. Nov 17, 2017 unhappy with truman capotes book and the legacy it left behind, the clutter family for decades remained silent about the killings until now. Because cutter laboratories made a vaccine that caused paralysis, the federal government launched an immediate investigation into the manufacture and testing procedures of all companies.
His account marking the 50th anniversary of the cutter incident was published in the april 7 issue of the new england journal of medicine and is the topic of a book coming out in september. Perspective from the new england journal of medicine the cutter incident, 50 years later. When polio vaccine backfired tainted batches killed 10 and. Jonathan r carapetis, the british medical journal, march 25 2006 synopsis. The socalled cutter incident led to the recall of the cutter vaccine and the eventual replacement of the salk ipv with the attenuated weakened live oral polio vaccine opv developed by albert sabin, md and introduced in 1963. This remarkable book recounts for the first time a devastating episode in 1955 at cutter laboratories in berkeley, california, thathas led many pharmaceutical.
Apr 25, 2005 his account marking the 50th anniversary of the cutter incident was published in the april 7 issue of the new england journal of medicine and is the topic of a book coming out in september. It is so tautly written that it reads like a good thriller, such that one is eager to find out what happened next. Poliomyelitis is a peculiarly nasty, highly contagious disease of the central nervous system that all too often leaves its victims permanently disabled with withered limbs. The meat of the book is the science, politics and hype surrounding the introduction of the salk vaccine, and on of americas first public health disasters. This remarkable book recounts for the first time a devastating episode in 1955 at cutter laboratories in berkeley, california, thathas led. Historical vaccine safety concerns concerns vaccine safety. How americas first polio vaccine led to the growing vaccine crisis by paul a. This remarkable book recounts for the first time a devastating episode in 1955 at cutter laboratories in berkeley, california, that has led many pharmaceutical companies to abandon vaccine. The cutter incident is an absolute model of its genre.
The cutter incident is an enjoyable read, at times like a detective thriller, at others like a courtroom drama. Paul a offit vaccines have saved more lives than any other single medical advance. The cutter incident is an enjoyable read, at times like a detective thriller. This entertaining, wellwritten book provides valuable insights into three interrelated areas, all built around the story of the cutter incident, a landmark case that in some ways continues to have implications for product liability and the health of the vaccine industry today. Offit presents a powerful case for a far more enlightened approach to. The cutter incident was a defining moment in the history of vaccine manufacturing and government oversight of vaccines, and led to the creation of a better system of regulating vaccines. Although several books have dealt with the cutter incident, the extremely. Drawing on interviews with public health officials, pharmaceutical company executives, attorneys, cutter employees, and victims of the vaccine, as. Review the cutter incident is an enjoyable read, at times like a detective thriller, at others like a courtroom drama. Try searching on jstor for other items related to this book. Id never heard about the cutter incident before this book, and it is fascinating and disturbing to see how the court cases that resulted from people getting polio from the polio vaccine made by cutter led to the legal environment that exists today. Mar 23, 2006 the cutter incident is an enjoyable read, at times like a detective thriller, at others like a courtroom drama. Sep 28, 2007 the book is very well written and reads almost like a detective story, with a nice balance between personal anecdotes and new materials not discussed in other accounts of the cutter incident.
After the government improved this process and increased oversight, polio vaccinations resumed in the fall of 1955. How americas first polio vaccine led to a growing vaccine crisis. Vaccines have saved more lives than any other single medical advance. The cutter disaster was completely unnecessary which is what dr offit will never tell you, as polio iswas a man made disease, from ddt which got into the milk supply or. As a consequence, companies made a safer polio vaccine and childrens lives were saved. The cutter incident caused an immediate change in the way that vaccines were made and regulated in the united states. The salk polio vaccine tragedy the vaccine reaction. Historical vaccine safety concerns concerns vaccine. Offit portrays many of the heroesjonas salk and albert sabin, among othersas egotistical and flawed. For one thing, the incident led to the effective federal regulation of vaccines. How americas first polio vaccine led to the growing vaccine crisis paul a.
This remarkable book recounts for the first time a devastating episode in 1955 at cutter laboratories in berkeley, california, thathas led many. The cutter incident how americas first polio vaccine led to the growing vaccine crisis by paul a. This remarkable book recounts for the first time a devastating episode in 1955 at cutter laboratories in berkeley, california, thathas led many pharmaceutical companies to abandon vaccine manufacture. How americas first polio vaccine led to the growing vaccine crisis offit, paul a. Bernice eddy 19031989 was an american virologist and epidemiologist. Yet today only four companies make vaccines, and there is a growing crisis in vaccine availability.
She was commissioned on october 3, 1964, at todd shipyards in houston, texas, at a cost of 2. The book reminds us how close we have been and indeed still areto losing immunisation as our most effective public health tool. How americas first polio vaccine led to the growing vaccine crisis. The vaccine was recalled as soon as cases of polio were detected. She and sarah elizabeth stewart are known for their discoveries related to polyomavirus and sv40 in particular, a cancercausing monkey virus that millions of people were exposed to through contaminated polio vaccines. When polio vaccine backfired tainted batches killed 10. Offfit conveys the science with admirable clarity, and he presents the philosophical and legal issues simply but without simplifications. On april 24, 1955, just days after the salk vaccine went into use, polio broke out among children who had received shots from a. Books about cutting yourself score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Polio epidemics swept through postwar america with alarming frequency, growing more virulent every year. How americas first polio vaccine led to the growing vaccine crisis 1st first edition by offit m. How americas first polio vaccine led to the growing vaccine crisis this article has no abstract. It left 169 people paralysed and 10 dead, from 40,000 cases caused by 120,000 inadequately inactivated doses of vaccine.
This remarkable book recounts for the first time a devastating episode in 1955 at cutter laboratories in berkeley, california, thathas led many pharmaceutical companies to abandon vaccine. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the cutter incident. The cutter incident offers a concise and thoroughly documented account well illustrated with rare period photos of a medical tragedy and its continuing consequences. The cutter incident is the worst failure of vaccine science in history. Mar 25, 2020 8 things you may not know about jonas salk and the polio vaccine. But whatever interpretive biases he has brought to his research, this is a carefully argued and persuasive book. In cold bloods clutter family speaks for first time. And with the 50th anniversary of the movie coming up, i felt there was an opportunity to explore it, and my obsession with. The cutter incident how americas first polio vaccine led to the growing vaccine crisis p offit on. This remarkable book recounts for the first time a devastating episode in 1955 at cutter laboratories in berkeley, california, thathas led many pharmaceutical companies to abandon. The book is very well written and reads almost like a detective story, with a nice balance between personal anecdotes and new materials not discussed in other accounts of the cutter incident.
The cutter incident how americas first polio vaccine. The cutter incident is history as advocacy, and purist historians may legitimately criticize offits analysis as presentist. Yet today only four companies make vaccines, and t. She is the twelfth cutter to bear the name vigilant, dating back to 1790 when the original vigilant was built for the united states revenuemarine. Medical book the cutter incident yet today only four companies make vaccines, and there is a growing crisis in vaccine availability.
Vaccines have saved more lives than any other single medical ad. This project started because i am obsessed with in cold blood, and always was. How americas first polio vaccine led to the growing vaccine crisis kindle edition by offit m. This case, which came to be known as the cutter incident, resulted in many cases of paralysis. Author paul offit, a prominent us infectious diseases physician and vaccinologist, has traced the origins of todays vaccine crisis to an incident during the 1950s. Tainted cutter polio vaccine killed and paralyzed children. It draws on meticulous archival documentation and on interviews with public health officers, pharmaceutical company executives, cutter employees, and. I read it in high school as an assignment, and its the first book that i then reread and reread. On april 12, 1955, following the announcement of the success of the polio vaccine trial, cutter laboratories became one of several companies that was recommended to be given a license by the united states government to produce salks polio vaccine.
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