Rowena Rae is a biologist and the daughter of an infectious disease doctor. Throughout her childhood, her mother shared her experiences and knowledge with her children which helped to shape her confidence in vaccines. So when she learned that her friend did not believe in vaccinating her children, Rae decided to learn more about the history of vaccines in our society to understand vaccine hesitancy and mistrust of science better.

While this book seems to be targeted towards a middle school audience, I can see readers of all ages benefitting from reading this. Topics covered include the history of infectious diseases, the history of vaccines, vaccine hesitancy, vaccine accessibility, ethics, and how vaccines have shaped our relationship with diseases over time. One of the many topics discussed was how it is a privilege to live in a world where we are protected from many diseases that our parents and older generations had to fight.

I enjoyed this book because it reminded me of the infectious disease biology course that was one of my inspirations for studying biology and public health. I particularly enjoyed that the author included a collection of profiles highlighting different professionals and their connection to vaccines, including medical historians, medical ethicists, clinical trials managers, students, research technicians, epidemiologists, and many more. This was a highlight because I believe it is very important to introduce people to different careers outside of the typical ones we associate with each field. This book also features short, straightforward chapters, a thorough glossary, and illustrations by Paige Stampatori that greatly enhance this resource. I can see this being supplemental reading for many courses from middle school through college and for readers starting to explore this topic.

This is a great overview and breakdown of the history of diseases and vaccines and the related discoveries that changed medical science and history. There are also several short features of scientists working to bring vaccines to more people. It gave a good sampling of the kinds and variety of jobs there are in this field. It is aimed at a middle-grade audience and is perfect for my science-obsessed 10-year-old. The text is clear and easy to understand, and the scientific terms are broken down and explained. It also covers misinformation and vaccine hesitancy really well. Everyone should read this book.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Orca Books for providing an early copy for review.

The author invites us to her search for validating getting vaccines - and looks at both sides of the issue. The timeline of vaccination history and inclusion of changemakers in the field makes this a very interesting book.

A vital read for anyone aged 10 or older (especially with the recent wave of vaccine hesitancy). Chock full of information phrased in simple language; accessible to all. Colorful pictures, simple figures, and short reading passages trace the history of infectious disease and the human war against it. If fear is what breeds hate and mistrust, this book will serve to shed light on this topic and help save lives. A great book for school or classroom library with connections to teach math, graphing, and the nature of science.

This was a very good introduction to vaccines and included a lot of information that will help kids learn about the history and development of these very important medical innovations. With vaccines and vaccine preventable illnesses so prevalent today, and there being so much misinformation available this book should help middle grade children learn more about the topic so that they are better informed. The sections are short enough that it should keep kids engaged without becoming tedious, but still included enough information to provide a good learning experience. The stories told to help bring context to the information sections often include children so should make the information more relatable too.

The illustrations in the book were also really well done and should both help keep kids interested but also add to their understanding of the topics.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

In a country that is so divided about vaccines, I believe this book is very important. This book helps teach children that a tiny little pinch, even if it is scary, can help keep them from getting very sick. I think this book is a must-read for parents and children.

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Thank you!

Thank you net galley for early copy. This book was amazing . It says it is targeted for young children but as an adult I learned a lot.I like how it talked bout the early ages of diseases . I learned that a scab from a sick person put on a well person to prevent small pox. If anyone is against vaccines then he should read this book.I thought the author did a great job explaining things .I liked there was a glossary in back to refer to terms in the book.

I am a pediatric pharmacist, and I 100% endorse this book! Why We Need Vaccines is a nonfiction book target for middle grade readers (ages 9-12); however, due to the amount of science illiteracy observed on social media in the last 4 years, a lot of adults would benefit from reading this book as well. It is also perfect for younger science nerds, though you will need to anticipate many more "whys" from that group!

Why We Need Vaccines covers so much more than the obvious. History of infectious diseases and plagues, early vaccine discovery, medical research, medical ethics (The Nuremberg Code and The Declaration of Helsinki even make an appearance), critical thinking, evaluating online information, global health equity, careers in vaccine-related science and so much more! I was also so happy to see a pharmacist featured in one of the career profiles!

This book is accurate (the author is a biologist whose mother is a retired Infectious Diseases physician), educational, engaging, and wonderfully illustrated. It brings up many discussion points and can easily lead to more reading on vaccines, infectious diseases, and other global health related topics.

All the stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orca Book Publishers for the opportunity to read and review this Advanced Review Copy.

I'm a medical doctor practicing in India for more than 12 years now. And There are times when I feel lucky to be born in India where vaccines are considered very important.

In my opinion, Antivaxers the term which I mostly have heard in foreign countries like US are the people who will do more harm in the long run. We have been able to eradicate diseases like smallpox cause of vaccines and it is utmost important that every single human being alive is vaccinated in case of every disease out there for which vaccine is available to eradicate it completely.

Why we need vaccines gives a brief account of diseases and vaccines in 10 chapters. It has illustrations which will make it easier for everyone to understand. The language is easy and nothing that a person not from medical background will not be able to understand. It's very important book in terms of educating people what does vaccine actually do.

A must read for everyone. Highly recommended.

Thank you Netgalley and Orca book publishers for this wonderful ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Vaccines
Great book for educating the public on the importance of vaccines! This book offers information and graphics that can entertain and inform people of all ages.
I appreciate how the author delves into the timelines of major medical events and epidemics in history. Some vaccines have been proven to eradicate the real dangers of diseases like smallpox through “herd immunity”.
We also get to read about personal accounts from those who have been affected by vaccines - positive and negative. Of course, this book hits so close to home because of the still prominent dangers of Covid. This book shows the medical advancements made over the years and further gives us hope for the future!

I read this book as a pre-release e-book obtained through NetGalley, provided by the publisher.

Why do we need vaccines against horrible, deadly, debilitating, or disabling diseases? That hardly needs to be answered in more than a couple of words. Humans have worked for thousands of years to reduce spread of these diseases, but it was not until the advent of vaccines roughly 150 years ago that significant reductions were possible – and even some diseases have been eradicated – or made extinct.

The forward to the book succinctly describes what the book will cover, and who it is written for – children 9-12. Thus, the book is simply written, words in bold italics that a reader will need to understand to comprehend the book, and a glossary of scientific or medical terms used is included. Illustrations, showing diverse people as scientists, healthcare workers, patients, or community is lovely, and illustrations themselves make the concept pop more graphically. Professionals in healthcare, science – including the social sciences briefly discuss their work, how or why they got into it, and advice to young people including it in their career exploration.

The book describes what sorts of “germs” cause disease, something about them, descriptions in the text and in the glossary – as well as how to avoid them, and what the immune system is or how to fight them. Herd immunity and community immunity are also discussed, and why it is important for every eligible person to be part of the immune community to help those who are unable to be vaccinated. Healthcare inequities – both in the US and Canada among various groups of people, and developing and developed nations is discussed. Many historical figures are discussed, and how things were done in their time, and what they did that caused a progression in how society runs.

OMG as a nurse I feel like this should be required reading for EVERYONE age 12 and older! If I could. I would hand it out to my patients in ICU. So many people could benefit from this informative and easy to read guide to vaccines! BRAVO to the author who looked at all sides of the debate and makes it easy to understand! If I could give more than 5 stars I would!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I went in thinking this was a kid’s book, but the details were so in depth that really it’s a middle/high school-aged book that even adults can learn from. The text reads like a simplified school book on pathology but relates it to real world importance. Especially in a time where we’re just past the bulk of a pandemic, it’s an important topic to cover. The illustrations are beautiful and add to the content nicely. As a pharmacist who administers vaccines daily and supports the importance of vaccines, I really appreciated this book.

This is a fantastic, informative book aimed at young people but also perfect for adults who want a crash course in diseases and vaccines. I'm already a vaccine advocate and there wasn't much new information for me, but the presentation was organized and understandable and the overall effect was positive and optimistic.
The main thing this book brings that makes it unique are the interviews with individuals who are passionate about areas related to vaccine advocacy. Even teenagers can make a difference when it comes to making good decisions and being responsible about spreading real facts instead of disinformation.
Disease is such a fascinating topic anyway. Ben Franklin regretted not protecting his son from smallpox hundreds of years ago and we have better information to make good choices now.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

This is an informative book and a great way for kids to learn more about why we need vaccines and how they work. It contained good information as well as appealing graphics.

This is an incredibly informative book about the history of infectious diseases and vaccines. It explains why vaccines are necessary for prevention of disease. The pictures and drawings are excellent.

This book is all about vaccines and its history, importance, and how it works. It is a very important book because vaccines are life saving entity. I'd highly recommend this book to understand about vaccines!

This is such an important book in my opinion. As someone with a science background, I am baffled by some people who are against vaccination. This book is all about vaccines, what are they, and how they work, along with its history. Everyone should read this book to understand the importance of vaccines and how it has saved millions of lives over the years. Other than the core topic, the book also has a compelling and aesthetic layout, with colorful illustrations and pictures. Overall, a great book and also quite an important one! Must read.

Wow! So I downloaded this title thinking "Oh, this is perfect for me to read to my niece", for her to learn about how our body responds to viruses etc and why vaccines are important right? Well, shocker... I needed it for ME! It taught me so much that I never thought I didn't know as an adult myself. I loved how it wasn't just a bunch of overwhelming information or facts, it felt personal and there were a good amount of pictures which makes it kid friendly and to keep their attention as well. Thank you to the author and illustrator for this. I can't wait to tell educators and teachers who come into my bookstore, about his book. I think it would be a great addition for the classroom reads. Although my niece is only four years old, she loves learning about human anatomy and I definitely will be purchasing this for her when it's released!

The dedication in the beginning was fantastic and honestly made it more encouraging to turn the page, I appreciated the "vaccinated and unvaccinated". I feel like this to will have a big effect on people when they first pick it up to read, makes it feel like it's not about your choices but just about educating about vaccines.
-The images in this book were bright and eye catching, the placement of them was perfect, very appealing and complimented the text placement.
-As an educator I would definitely use this book or references this book in my teachings. As the facts seems to lineup with other resources I have used. Or that are known to be factual.
-I really enjoyed all the history, and early science experiments that are mentioned in this book. * I did not know that they used to test on prisoners with the option of them going free!!** After reading this book, I was full of new Information and honestly feel a little bit more educated in regards to vaccinations.