Bioethics Consultant, Assistant Director of Graduate Education Programs Montefiore Einstein Center for Bioethics Bronx, New York
Abstract: This paper explores how historical fiction can foster renewed discussions with antivaccine communities. In response to the Covid-19 crisis, I wrote Les Enragés, a novel set in the 19th century that reimagines the vaccine controversy through Louis Pasteur’s discovery of the rabies vaccine. The story follows the tragic case of Jules Rouyer, a young boy who died after receiving the experimental treatment, retracing the vivid debates between pro- and anti-vaccine advocates of the time.
Grounded in historiographical sources—debates at the Academy of Medicine, epistolary exchanges among Pasteur and his colleagues, satirical caricatures, and archival accounts of alternative rabies remedies—the novel historicizes anxieties over safety, bodily integrity, and medical distrust, themes that persist in modern antivaccine rhetoric. By situating contemporary concerns within a historical framework, fiction becomes a tool for public engagement.
Les Enragés was published in France by Editions Globe and was selected among the 2023 finalists of the National Academy of Medicine Literary Prize, and I am currently working on its English translation. I conclude with reflections on scholars’ responsibilities to write in accessible formats, foster meaningful public dialogue, and actively engage diverse audiences
Presentation Structure: 3 minutes – Origins and extent of the 19th-century antivaccine movement 10 minutes – Analysis of historiographical sources: Pasteur’s Laboratory and the Jules Rouyer case Academy of Medicine debates Satirical caricatures and epistolary exchanges Early opposition to Jenner’s smallpox vaccine 2 minutes – Conclusions on renewing public dialogue and future projects
Keywords: Antivax, Fiction, Public Engagement
Learning Objectives:
After participating in this conference, attendees should be able to:
Understand the historical context of the 19th-century antivaccine movement, including key figures and events such as the debates surrounding Pasteur’s rabies vaccine and the case of Jules Rouyer.
Analyze primary historiographical sources (e.g., Academy of Medicine debates, epistolary exchanges, satirical caricatures) to explore how 19th-century concerns about vaccine safety and medical authority inform contemporary antivaccine rhetoric.
Critically evaluate the role of fiction as a tool for public engagement and fostering meaningful dialogue on contemporary issues while reflecting on the scholar's responsibility to write in accessible formats.
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