
Booster Shots
The Urgent Lessons of Measles and the Uncertain Future of Children's Health
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Narrated by:
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Adam Ratner MD MPH
About this listen
A pediatrician and infectious disease specialist warns of the resurgence of measles, the antivaccine movement, and how we can prepare for the next pandemic
Every single child diagnosed with measles represents a system failure—an inexcusable unforced error. The technology to prevent essentially 100 percent of measles cases has been in our hands since before the moon landing. But this serious airborne disease, once seemingly defeated, is resurgent around the globe. Why, at a time when biomedical science is so advanced, do parents turn away from vaccination, endangering their own children and the health of the wider population?
Using a combination of patient narrative, historical analysis, and scientific research, Dr. Adam Ratner, pediatrician and infectious disease specialist, argues that the reawakening of measles and the subsequent coronavirus pandemic are bellwethers of forgotten knowledge—indicators of decaying trust in science and an underfunded public health infrastructure. Our collective amnesia is starkly revealed in the growth of the antivaccine movement and the missteps in our responses to the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, leading to preventable tragedies in both cases.
Trust in medicine and public health is at a nadir. Declining vaccine confidence threatens a global reemergence of other vaccine-preventable diseases in the coming years. Ratner details how solving these problems requires the use of literal and figurative “booster shots” to gather new knowledge and retain the crucial lessons of the past. Learning—and remembering—these lessons is our best hope for preparing for the next pandemic. With attention and care and the tools we already have, we can make the world much safer for children tomorrow than it is today.
©2025 Adam Ratner (P)2025 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"A masterful history of both grand and intimate scale, Dr. Ratner details how we reached a point of extraordinary scientific achievement and painful systemic distrust, making a forceful case for the path forward, across politics, public health, and patient care."—Chelsea Clinton
“Not only have we largely eliminated measles from the United States, we’ve eliminated the memory of measles. As a result, measles is coming back. Weaving historical events with personal experiences, Dr. Ratner makes us remember, telling us exactly what is at stake if we continue along this path. A fascinating read—Booster Shots is a call to arms in a troubled time.”—Paul A. Offit, MD, author of Tell Me When It’s Over
“In many parts of the world, we are seeing the return of measles because of interruptions in childhood immunization programs, but also because parents are refusing to vaccinate their children. In Booster Shots, pediatric infectious disease expert Dr. Ratner informs us on what we must do to get back on track, and the potential for global eradication.”—Peter Hotez, MD, PhD, Director, Center for Vaccine Development, Texas Children's Hospital
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The Social Paradox
- Autonomy, Connection, and Why We Need Both to Find Happiness
- By: William von Hippel
- Narrated by: Josh Bloomberg
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Why do people who have so much—leading comfortable lives filled with unprecedented freedom, choice, and abundance—often feel so unhappy and unfulfilled? This phenomenon is a defining paradox of our time and one we endlessly seek to solve. In The Social Paradox, psychologist William von Hippel argues that we need to think about this problem in a new way. By changing our perspective, we might finally see the solution, bringing us greater happiness and more satisfying relationships. The key is to understand the interplay between our two most basic psychological needs—for connection and autonomy.
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Excellent perspective
- By jewelia on 04-09-25
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Blood and Mistletoe
- The History of the Druids in Britain
- By: Ronald Hutton
- Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
- Length: 31 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Crushed by the Romans in the first century A.D., the ancient Druids of Britain left almost no reliable evidence behind. Historian Ronald Hutton shows how this lack of definite information has allowed succeeding British generations to reimagine, reinterpret, and reinvent the Druids. Hutton's captivating book is the first to encompass two thousand years of Druid history and to explore the evolution of English, Scottish, and Welsh attitudes toward the forever ambiguous figures of the ancient Celtic world.
By: Ronald Hutton
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Dear Miss Perkins
- A Story of Frances Perkins's Efforts to Aid Refugees from Nazi Germany
- By: Rebecca Brenner Graham
- Narrated by: Tanya Eby
- Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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She was the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet, the longest-serving Labor Secretary, and an architect of the New Deal. Yet beyond these celebrated accomplishments there is another dimension to Frances Perkins's story. Without fanfare, and despite powerful opposition, Perkins helped save the lives of countless Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany. Based on extensive research, including thousands of letters housed in the National Archives, Dear Miss Perkins adds new dimension to an already extraordinary life story.
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Interesting account well told
- By Jacob Brier on 04-10-25
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Bandwidth
- The Untold Story of Ambition, Deception, and Innovation That Shaped the Internet Age and Dot-Com Boom
- By: Dan Caruso
- Narrated by: Dylan Wheeler
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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With insights into the cyclical nature of innovation and the indomitable spirit of human ingenuity, Bandwidth is a powerful saga that shines a light on how history may be repeating itself as the AI, quantum, and blockchain Boom cycle is taking hold.
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Light on content, heavy on personal
- By David Ingram on 02-27-25
By: Dan Caruso
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Inevitable
- Inside the Messy, Unstoppable Transition to Electric Vehicles
- By: Mike Colias
- Narrated by: Michael Butler Murray
- Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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The question is no longer if electric vehicles will happen, or even when they'll happen, but how. Veteran automotive reporter Mike Colias takes you inside the transformation in this thoroughly reported profile of the hard pivot in the car business, a $2 trillion industry undergoing the biggest change in its 120-year history—a change that is already sending ripples across the entire global economy.
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Best Book on EVs - Fun and Authoritative
- By LD on 04-16-25
By: Mike Colias
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The Grieving Body
- How the Stress of Loss Can Be an Opportunity for Healing
- By: Mary-Frances O'Connor
- Narrated by: Mary-Frances O'Connor
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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While we can speak to the psychological and emotional ramifications of loss and sorrow, we often overlook its impact on our physical bodies. Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor specializes in the study of grief, and in The Grieving Body she shares vital scientific research, revealing imperative new insights on its profound physiological impact. As she did in The Grieving Brain, O’Connor combines illuminating studies and personal stories to explore the toll loss takes on our cardiovascular, endocrine, and immune systems and the larger implications for our long-term well-being.
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Rogues and Scholars
- A History of the London Art World: 1945-2000
- By: James Stourton
- Narrated by: Charles Armstrong
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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On October 15, 1958, Sotheby's of Bond Street staged an "event sale” of seven Impressionist paintings. The seven lots went for £781,000—at the time the highest price for a single sale. The event established London as the world center of the art market and Sotheby's as an international auction house. It began a shift in power from the dealers to the auctioneers and paved the way for Impressionist paintings to dominate the market for the next forty years.
By: James Stourton
What listeners say about Booster Shots
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- bean481
- 03-30-25
History of 1846 measles outbreak in Faroe Islands inspires
So grateful for stories from the past which can inspire responses today. And how social understanding can have huge effects on health outcomes.
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- avid reader/Amazon junkie
- 03-08-25
A really important lesson
As a retired pediatrician, my initial interest was in history. My own child had the measles in the early days of vaccine availability, but she was too young to get the vaccine. Even in the absence of severe consequences, I wouldn’t wish for ANYONE to get the disease. It’s miserable.
Dr Ratner gives an excellent history of vaccine development (measles and other diseases), and a discussion of the political and economic influences on our ability to eradicate a disease for which we have the tools to do so. His explanations are clear and in terms that any interested individual should be able to understand. His narration is superb. Thank you!
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- Taylor Anderson
- 03-04-25
Loved it!
This was so educational & sadly, relevant. Thank you, Dr. Ratner for giving us a straightforward explanation of the measles & the effort to eradicate this virus!
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- books
- 03-04-25
Excellent book!
Fascinating look at measles including history of the disease, virology, vaccine history, public health initiatives, with a hopeful ending
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