The Library
‘A matter of commonsense’ : the Coventry poliomyelitis epidemic 1957 and the British public
Tools
Tools
Tools
Millward, Gareth (2017) ‘A matter of commonsense’ : the Coventry poliomyelitis epidemic 1957 and the British public. Contemporary British History, 31 (3). pp. 384-406. doi:10.1080/13619462.2016.1247701
|
PDF
WRAP-matter-commonsense-poliomyelitis-British-Millward-2017.pdf - Published Version - Requires a PDF viewer. Available under License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Download (1453Kb) | Preview |
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13619462.2016.1247701
Abstract
In 1956, the British Ministry of Health instituted a vaccination programme against poliomyelitis, but run into myriad supply and administrative issues. When Coventry experienced an epidemic in 1957, it came to symbolise these problems. Throughout, it was claimed that the government lacked ‘common sense’. This article explores how and why ‘common sense’ was used as a rhetorical weapon in the debates over policy at the local and national level. While those claiming ‘common sense’ were often at odds with medical and administrative authorities, the arguments were often informed by deeply held beliefs about vaccination and disease.
| Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divisions: | Faculty of Arts > History | ||||||||
| Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Poliomyelitis -- Vaccination -- Coventry (England) -- 20th centruy, Public health administration | ||||||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | Contemporary British History | ||||||||
| Publisher: | Routledge | ||||||||
| ISSN: | 1361-9462 | ||||||||
| Official Date: | 2017 | ||||||||
| Dates: |
|
||||||||
| Volume: | 31 | ||||||||
| Number: | 3 | ||||||||
| Page Range: | pp. 384-406 | ||||||||
| DOI: | 10.1080/13619462.2016.1247701 | ||||||||
| Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||||||
| Publication Status: | Published | ||||||||
| Access rights to Published version: | Restricted or Subscription Access | ||||||||
| RIOXX Funder/Project Grant: |
|
||||||||
| Related URLs: |
Request changes or add full text files to a record
Repository staff actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
Downloads
Downloads per month over past year
