Pandemics, Vaccines, and the Health of Nations Paperback | HISTORY/Social History A vibrant cultural history investigating pandemics and vaccines, by bestselling author and historian Simon Schama With the devastating effects of COVID-19 still rattling the foundations of our global civilization, we live in unprecedented times—or so we might think. But pandemics have been a constant presence throughout human history, as humans and disease have lived side by side for millennia. Over the centuries, our ability to react to these sweeping killers has evolved, most notably through medical breakthroughs that include the development of vaccines.