Vaccine narratives and polio vaccination policies in the context of the province of Alicante (1963-1978)

Abstract

Small-scale analysis is a path of historiographical approach that opened, at the time, new paths in research. The prox­imity of the study object allows us to delve into our own and specific determinants and the realities and practices of, for example, mass immunization campaigns against polio, designed at the national level but implemented locally, as in the case study that we discuss. Using as a model the provincial sanitary area of Alicante, the work adds data to complete the proximity information on these campaigns and thus, complete an overview and a comparative analysis both in an external and in an internal interterritori­al, national scope and provincial level as well as the follow-up of the guidelines given by the national and international organisms. Secondly, to give meaning to the set of activities carried out by different actors, institutions and media, involved in the process of implementation, coverage and follow-up of polio vaccination campaigns in the province of Alicante. The use of narratives of peo­ple affected by the disease allows to add relevant elements about personal experiences in the context of the vaccine campaigns.