Regarding Early 20th Century Vaccination Rhetoric: Inoculation Strategy in the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company’s (1926) Health Heroes

The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company’s Health Heroes series was a marketing effort comprised of published narratives in booklet form. One such publication, Health Heroes: Edward Jenner, told the story of Jenner’s introduction of immunization to protect against viral threats. The narrative is an interesting example of health communication, science communication, illustrated narrative, applied communication theory, and, as this analysis will argue, inoculation theory rhetoric. Studying historical examples of inoculation theory rhetoric—even examples that predate the formulation of the theory in the early 1960s—helps provide both precedence and potential guidance for applied contemporary health promotion efforts.

Compton, J. (2024, November). Regarding early 20th century vaccination rhetoric: Inoculation strategy in the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company’s (1926) Health Heroes. Applied Communication Division of the National Communication Association, New Orleans, LA.