Immunology II: Janeway's Immunobiology 8th ed.
Things that make you go hmmmmm
Page 33 (emphasis mine):
The tools of modern immunology and molecular biology are being applied to develop new vaccines and improve old ones, and we discuss these advances in Chapter 16. The prospect of controlling these important diseases is tremendously exciting. The guarantee of good health is a critical step toward population control and economic development. At a cost of pennies per person, great hardship and suffering can be alleviated.
“Controlling a disease” via drugs and vaccines is missing the bigger picture of GIGO (garbage in = garbage outcomes) in terms of diet, sleep, exercise, weight management, employment and social interaction.
This is particularly telling when it comes to “guaranteeing good health”: fat people can get all the injections against COVID they want but they are still at a higher risk of severe death and mortality. Same with smokers.
WTF is with the quip about population control? Most developed countries (all??) are already below replacement levels of reproduction. After the excitement of “controlling these important diseases” it sounds like this group of people wants to “control people’s reproduction”…
Apart from that, it’s a solid book on immunobiology. Highly recommended.
“At a cost of pennies per person, great hardship and suffering can be [displaced from “remedied by human biology” into “managed by chronic medical intervention”].
Love this! I have been preaching #1 but sadly nobody listens. The more I listen to Dr. David Martin, the more I believe #3.