Most people don't like getting vaccines, much less seeing their children have needles poked into their thighs and arms. But context can change that. Besieged by terrifying outbreaks of paralytic polio and the spectre of iron-lung respirators, many parents were happy to see their children receiving the first polio vaccinations in the 1950s. Similarly, when I got my first COVID-19 vaccine, it instantly relieved the sense of existential dread that I had felt for almost a year as the death toll rose.
These discoveries may not just save our own lives, but the lives of people we love. Nearly every innovation that defines our era, every breakthrough from my field and from those of my colleagues, traces back to basic science research.
Scientists have pursued a universal influenza vaccine for decades to protect against various strains, with recent plans for $500 million in funding marking significant progress.