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Paul A. Offit
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The Cutter Incident: How America s First Polio Vaccine Led to the Growing Vaccine Crisis Hardcover – October 10, 2005

by Paul A. Offit (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 182 ratings
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Vaccines have saved more lives than any other single medical advance. Yet today only four companies make vaccines, and there is a growing crisis in vaccine availability. Why has this happened? This remarkable book recounts for the first time a devastating episode in 1955 at Cutter Laboratories in Berkeley, California, thathas led many pharmaceutical companies to abandon vaccine manufacture.Drawing on interviews with public health officials, pharmaceutical company executives, attorneys, Cutter employees, and victims of the vaccine, as well as on previously unavailable archives, Dr. Paul Offit offers a full account of the Cutter disaster. He describes the nation’s relief when the polio vaccine was developed by Jonas Salk in 1955, the production of the vaccine at industrial facilities such as the one operated by Cutter, and the tragedy that occurred when 200,000 people were inadvertently injected with live virulent polio virus: 70,000 became ill, 200 were permanently paralyzed, and 10 died. Dr. Offit also explores how, as a consequence of the tragedy, one jury’s verdict set in motion events that eventually suppressed the production of vaccines already licensed and deterred the development of new vaccines that hold the promise of preventing other fatal diseases.
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  1. Print length
    256 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Yale University Press
  4. Publication date
    October 10, 2005
  5. Dimensions
    6.5 x 1 x 9.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0300108648
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0300108644
  8. See all details
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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
182 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book provides an enlightening history of vaccine development in the US. They describe it as a great read for anyone interested in healthcare or curious about the history. The writing style is well-written and understandable, using minimal jargon. Readers appreciate the entertaining storyline that details the pitfalls of research. Overall, the book offers an interesting and informative look at this important topic.

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HistoryReadabilityWriting styleStory quality
15 customers mention "History"15 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's history of vaccine development in the US interesting and well-written. They appreciate the explanations of scientific jargon and the review of the impacts of science, litigation, and popular opinions on public health. The book helps them understand the times and their parents' experiences.

"...This was an exceptionally well written discussion of the evolution. Offit is clearly an admirer of Salk and a critic of Sabin...." Read more

"An interesting review of the impacts of science, litigation, and populr opinions on public health and the availability of disease prevention via..." Read more

"...Very well written and helped with understanding the times and the terror that my parents went through...." Read more

"Found the history of the Polio vaccine, Jonas Salk etc very interesting, I missed the tragedy by 12-18 months as a child...." Read more

14 customers mention "Readability"14 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and informative. They say it's a good read for anyone interested in healthcare or history. The book is educational and entertaining, with an interesting story about polio.

"...Worth the read for anyone in healthcare or simply curious about the history!" Read more

"...This book is worth your time to read, if for nothing else it can relate to the current Covid vaccines...." Read more

"...wish the author could have gotten us there more quickly, but the trip was worth it." Read more

"This is a very interesting and page turning read - not only a story about polio and the cutter incident - it is covers the laws and settlements and..." Read more

8 customers mention "Writing style"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's writing style readable and engaging. They say it's well-researched and easy to follow, with little jargon. The information is accessible and understandable for anyone interested in learning about the Cutter incident.

"...He brings both the medical expertise as well as a very readable presentation...." Read more

"...Dr. Offit skillfully writes from all points of view, on a level with Anne Fadiman's The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down...." Read more

"This true medical history of the polio vaccine is well-written, well-researched, and uses very little jargon...." Read more

"Both an overview and an indepth view of the Cutter incident and how it changed America...." Read more

3 customers mention "Story quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the story engaging and well-told. They appreciate the author's coverage of the research process and its development.

"...but he does a great job retelling everything that happened" Read more

"Fascinating and exciting coverage of the development of the first polio vaccine!..." Read more

"Great story about all the pitfalls of research in the midst of desperation...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Dr. Terrence McGarty
    5.0 out of 5 stars An Exceptionally Well Written Expose
    Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Offit is a great author of expositions of this type. He brings both the medical expertise as well as a very readable presentation. The Salk vaccine was viewed as a major achievement in the vaccine world in the early 1950s. As one of the earliest subjects having received this vaccine I recall the time quite well. We avoid public swimming pools in New York, and even at the beaches were careful to also avoid any locations where transmission could occur. The understanding of viruses was still in its infancy.

    Salk's approach was somewhat straightforward. Get the virus, then by using formaldehyde, or formalin, and heat, inactivate it so what was left behind was some collection of antigens which hopefully identified the virus to the person's immune system thus generating antibodies and in turn immunity. The key was to hopefully kill off all the live virus and leave behind the antigen markers.

    Salk did some tests to determine how much treatment was necessary and then tripled it to be sure. One must remember this is 1950 and the tools were minimal and Watson and Crick had barely come upon the scene. Offit takes us through the steps that Salk took and shows how he reached a workable vaccine albeit in a lab.

    Then the vaccine was to be distributed and multiple vendors enter the fray. One was Cutter a California company and small in comparison to others. It appears that Cutter ran a rather loose ship and as a result shipped vaccines that still had live viruses. The result was drastic.

    Offit takes us to the trial of one of the injured parties and I believe tells a tale of how tort laws had evolved and how they were applied to this case. This was an exceptionally well written discussion of the evolution.

    Offit is clearly an admirer of Salk and a critic of Sabin. The Salk v Sabin battle loomed for many years. I leave it to history as to who is the better but as a Salk child am very happy that I had been vaccinated.

    Thus this book takes us through the development, implementation, execution, competition and litigation surrounding the polio vaccine. How this may play out in the current corona virus case is yet to be seen but seventy years has made a massive improvement. Perhaps Offit can take a try at this one in the near future.

    Overall I would strongly recommend this book to anyone interest in the time and science.
    18 people found this helpful
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  • Keiko Klisiewecz
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Read
    Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2024
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    Actually the first of many books I have had the pleasure of reading by Dr. Paul Offit. He does a wonderful job at making the book understable to those whom may not have a ton of experince with vaccines. He takes the time to explain what they are, how they work, what went wrong- and the aftermath. Such as what changed, what guidelines were implimented, and the ways it affected the vaccine industry to this day. Worth the read for anyone in healthcare or simply curious about the history!
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  • SunnyDaze
    4.0 out of 5 stars Jury decisions directly and adversely impact human lives
    Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    An interesting review of the impacts of science, litigation, and populr opinions on public health and the availability of disease prevention via vaccine. Especially of interest during these SARS-COV2 times and the worldwide pandemic. It is a pity that a basic understanding of science, scientific method, health, medicine, and law appear to be in short supply in American society.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • DumbFish
    5.0 out of 5 stars I had no clue
    Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I lived through the Polio scare of the 50's and was one of the recipient's of the first vaccines.

    This incident I have never heard of before. I was only 6 when I was vaccinated so I wasn't reading the newspapers yet.

    Very well written and helped with understanding the times and the terror that my parents went through.

    This book is worth your time to read, if for nothing else it can relate to the current Covid vaccines. I thank the author for researching and writing.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Kathleen
    5.0 out of 5 stars If You Have Vaccine Worries, Do Yourself a Favor and Read This Book
    Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    This is a level-headed account of casualties that occurred in the 1950s as scientists waged war on polio--a disease that is close to becoming extinct. And I think that's the way to remember those needless tragedies, as casualties in a war. Dr. Offit skillfully writes from all points of view, on a level with Anne Fadiman's The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Despite the cost in human suffering, I came away with renewed admiration for all those involved--in both the public and private sectors. I grew up in a church that latched onto this episode and used it to promote its anti-medical science/faith healing doctrines. While spreading fear of medical science, it utterly failed to realize the vast numbers of lives that were spared this disease because of the vaccination. Dr. Offit's book tells the whole story.
    17 people found this helpful
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  • MT GRANNY / Colorado
    3.0 out of 5 stars INTERESTING READ for POLIO HISTORY
    Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Found the history of the Polio vaccine, Jonas Salk etc very interesting, I missed the tragedy by 12-18 months as a child.
    I thought the the coverage of the sequences of events, “this lead that” information enlightening. However my kudos end there when I see “sudden infant death syndrome” attributed to sleep position ,totally bogus. This syndrome ended as a result of a lawsuit against the FDA, forcing the requirement of selenium to be added to baby formula. From there the many “suppositions” presented went down hill - My opinon.
    This was definitely a pro vaccine book, as aluminum, the use of fetal cells and so much more not even mentioned. Again- the “Cutter Incident” and all it lead to was quite interesting.
    11 people found this helpful
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  • Jerry Shereshewsky
    5.0 out of 5 stars worth the long upfront
    Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2023
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    This book, like a good lawyer, makes sure we get the necessary background for the very big and important punch line. I wish the author could have gotten us there more quickly, but the trip was worth it.
    One person found this helpful
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  • J. McAdams
    4.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading in these pandemic times
    Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    The true and often tragic stories about the multitude of obstacles to make a polio vaccine are amazing. They show how many voices were clamoring for an answer. They also show how the pressures can cause mistakes that cost lives.
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Anita Flegg
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very good history of the polio vaccine
    Reviewed in Canada on August 15, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I initially picked up this book because my mom had polio when she was a young teen, and I was interested to learn more about what it was like before the vaccine was widely available.
    This book tells the story of early work on the polio vaccine, and particularly the problems with purifying the vaccine -- which caused "the Cutter incident."
    In addition to the detailed accounting of what happened, how the problem was tracked down, and the devastating effects, I found it interesting to learn that this incident and its legal fallout was a big driver in creating the popularity of injury lawsuits in the US today. Unfortunately, this legal environment has also resulted in fewer manufacturers being willing to take on vaccine development and manufacture. This is a risk because many vaccines we count on to keep children safe now have very few suppliers.
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  • Sgarabotto Dino
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ottimo libro ancora oggi
    Reviewed in Italy on October 11, 2017
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    Ottima storia dei vaccini contro la poliomielite. L'incidente Cutter e' attuale ancora oggi per le conseguenze che ha determinato nell'industria farmaceutica. E' interessante sia la parte storica che quella legale con esempi che si collegano al presente.
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  • Guy Chapman
    5.0 out of 5 stars Must-read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 6, 2014
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    The Cutter Incident is the worst failure of vaccine science in history. It left 169 people paralysed and 10 dead, from 40,000 cases caused by 120,000 inadequately inactivated doses of vaccine. What the antivaxers always "forget" to mention is that the 1952 epidemic saw 58,000 cases reported, of which 21,269 resulted in paralysis and 3,145 in death. The disease outbreak was substantially more deadly than even the worst vaccine-induced epidemic in history.

    Offit gives a clear analysis of the incident, the politics behind it and the aftermath. This is what analysis of vaccine injury looks like, and it's a stark contrast to the hysterical outpourings of antivaxers.
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  • JRAD
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent analysis of polio immunisation. Recommended.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 1, 2021
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    This is a great review of Salk and Sabin. Well written. Yes, it’s over ten years old, but highly informative.
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  • Maria Luz
    4.0 out of 5 stars Interessante
    Reviewed in Italy on April 10, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Il libro descrive la storia del vaccino della Polio con molto dettaglio. La seconda parte si sofferma molto sulle questioni legali e di giurisprudenza legate alle cause successive al incidente.
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