I was asked by @MandyWiener to reflect on experiences of vaccines in South Africa, and it occurred to me that, as ADULTS, most South Africans are vaccine-naive. Some adults get the flu, hepatitis, pneumococcal, yellow fever vaccines as adults, but most lack vaccine experience.

And NO, getting your child vaccinated is not a personal experience. Yes, it is meaningful, but not an adult experience. Some mothers allow children to get treatment, but would rather not to take the same treatment themselves. We see this a lot in child health.

The argument that nearly all adults were vaccinated as children is important and robust, but that's an argument for child experiences, not for adults. As adults, we don't have recollection of experiences with vaccines. The prospect of getting a vaccine now is a new experience.

The sad thing, which is also a good thing, is that vaccines help us not experience a disease, and when we don't experience Polio, and never live with the paralysis that follows, we never get to know we benefited from a vaccine. Imagine, you dodge a bullet, and never get to know!

In a way, our lack of experience, and therefore lack of understanding, familiarity and appreciation of preventive health care, including vaccines, is an indictment on our public health approach in South Africa, and we are now paying a costly price, teaching people in a crisis.