The artifacts raise important questions about vaccination rhetoric, the effects of comical depictions of health issues, and the unique opportunities afforded by postal rhetoric.

Josh Compton

At first glance, postcards can be wrongly dismissed as trivial, basic postal messages, known for brevity and a simple yet often pleasing illustration. But at the same time, postcards can do more, and there is value in scrutinizing them further. This project surveys medical inoculation depictions on vintage postcards. The analysis leads to observations of how these health communication artifacts yield valuable insight into contemporary vaccination promotion efforts, including ongoing efforts to communicate more clearly about vaccines and the potential attitudinal inoculative function of postcards.

Compton, J. (2021, June). Depictions of medical inoculation on postcards [presentation cancelled]. Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association, Virtual.