Ben Franklin's Vaccine Lessons

Nearly 60 million American adults (roughly 25%) remain unvaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. This is a choice that exposes them to severe illness, but it is also a choice with historical precedent.

In the early 1700s, Ben Franklin and his wife, Deborah decided not to vaccinate their 4-year-old son for smallpox. Shortly thereafter, their son contracted the disease and died. Ben and Deborah were heartbroken and regretted the decision. This PBS video tells their story.

The New York Times published a great article on this. Read it using this Google search.