Date/Time
Date(s) - Monday 12 January 2026
8:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location
Duke Street Church
Categories No Categories
Tony Cartwright is a retired pharmacist who worked in the pharmaceutical industry, for the UK Medicines Agency, then ran his own regulatory consultancy.
He has written many research articles and reviews, and co-edited and co-written three books on drug regulation.
In retirement he has researched and written three books on the history of medicine – one on the history of pharmacopoeias, then a book called A History of the Medicines We Take and the latest, published in 2024, on the history of vaccines and the anti-vaccination movements from 1800 to 2024.
About the talk
Antivaccination views started in the early nineteenth century with objections by “Anti-Vacks’”to Edward Jenner’s smallpox vaccine. Smallpox vaccination became compulsory and parents who refused to have their children vaccinated were fined or even sent to prison. There was political lobbying and demonstrations across Britain.
A propaganda war was waged by the Anti-Compulsory Vaccination League and its successors from 1853 to 1972. The campaign was taken to America by Surrey businessman William Tebb.
As each new vaccine was introduced anti-vaccine sentiment came to a head again, with claims suggesting links to conditions such as autism. Modern antivaxxers have harnessed the power of the internet to bear false witness about dangers of Covid vaccines.