Category Archives: Blog Posts

Blog Posts

Dealing with the ‘Don’t Knows’ in public opinion and public health surveys

In 1944, the Daily Express columnist Beachcomber mocked social surveys by imagining a study on the accuracy of the measurement ‘a hairsbreadth.’ He wrote; ‘let [researchers from Gallup and Mass Observation] tear people’s hair out in handfuls in the cause … Continue reading

Public figures and public health

Dwight D. Eisenhower. Marc Bolan. Jade Goody. Separated by generation, historical importance and orbits of fame, at first glance they appear to have precious little in common. Nonetheless, all are public figures that have in some way influenced public perceptions … Continue reading

Vaccination Exhibition 3: Scientific Knowledge

Vaccination is a complicated process. It involves coordination between many different areas of public life, so that immunisations can be manufactured, distributed and given to people. At the heart of it, however, you need an effective vaccine. That requires research … Continue reading

Vaccination Exhibition 1: Eradicating Disease

The great success story of vaccination in the twentieth century was the eradication of smallpox. Although other public health techniques such as isolation and containment were necessary to eliminate the last few wild cases, vaccination was a key weapon against … Continue reading