browngirl: (Seshat (found online))
browngirl ([personal profile] browngirl) wrote2011-03-10 07:30 am

May 17: Edward Jenner Day?

Tigerlily and I were chatting in the car just now, and reflecting that if Talk Like A Pirate Day could become an international phenomenon, why not Edward Jenner's birthday? I mean, it's often said of him that his work has saved more lives than any other person's (which is of course arguable, but I think he has a good case, and has doubtless saved millions). He's a clear case of the triumph of science over ignorance, of progress over misery.

OTOH, my first thought was to imagine the pushback -- I have one degree of separation from multiple often-otherwise-sensible people who consider vaccination "pointlessly shooting children full of monkey pus" as one of my high school teachers (the bug-eyed math guy) often put it, and I don't think I want to have endless disheartening arguments over the merits of vaccination. Besides, a holiday about how much worse the world could be would be kind of an uphill sale.

Still. In May I'll try to remember Dr. Jenner.
sethg: picture of me with a fedora and a "PRESS: Daily Planet" card in the hat band (Default)

[personal profile] sethg 2011-03-10 01:50 pm (UTC)(link)
I think it’s a great idea.

I am disappointed to note that GIANTmicrobes does not have a stuffed smallpox bacterium.