Vaccines and Their Metaphors
From Memories to Monsters in the Age of Misinformation
1st Edition
Will be published approx. on 30. November 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
180 pages
978-1-041-09444-9 (ISBN)
Description
What do memories, raincoats, and snakes have in common? They have all been used as metaphors for vaccines by people with vastly different views and communicative goals. This book explores how, why, and with what consequences metaphors shape vaccine communication across diverse voices, including scientists, politicians, parents, and celebrity anti-vaxxers, and contexts, from popular science books and social media to government press conferences and public health campaigns.
Drawing examples from the UK, Italy, Pakistan, Australia, and the USA, each chapter examines specific communication types, revealing how metaphors achieve varied goals. For example, the COVID-19 vaccine development has been described as "safe as a restaurant serving multiple courses simultaneously". In contrast, others have used metaphors to fuel conspiracy theories, portraying vaccines as weapons in a sinister battle against ordinary people. The book demonstrates that metaphors are central and inescapable in vaccine discourse, equally powerful for pro-vaccination explanation and reassurance as for anti-vaccination obfuscation and fearmongering. Overall, the book shows how the use of metaphor constitutes both a challenge and an opportunity for promoting vaccines as a public health intervention.
This text is the first comprehensive account of vaccine metaphors drawing from diverse sources, contexts, and countries, examining both pro- and anti-vaccination perspectives. It is written in an accessible style for anyone interested in understanding how language shapes our perceptions of vaccines and public health. This is vital reading for students and researchers of language and health communication, applied linguistics, medical humanities, discourse analysis and metaphor studies.
Drawing examples from the UK, Italy, Pakistan, Australia, and the USA, each chapter examines specific communication types, revealing how metaphors achieve varied goals. For example, the COVID-19 vaccine development has been described as "safe as a restaurant serving multiple courses simultaneously". In contrast, others have used metaphors to fuel conspiracy theories, portraying vaccines as weapons in a sinister battle against ordinary people. The book demonstrates that metaphors are central and inescapable in vaccine discourse, equally powerful for pro-vaccination explanation and reassurance as for anti-vaccination obfuscation and fearmongering. Overall, the book shows how the use of metaphor constitutes both a challenge and an opportunity for promoting vaccines as a public health intervention.
This text is the first comprehensive account of vaccine metaphors drawing from diverse sources, contexts, and countries, examining both pro- and anti-vaccination perspectives. It is written in an accessible style for anyone interested in understanding how language shapes our perceptions of vaccines and public health. This is vital reading for students and researchers of language and health communication, applied linguistics, medical humanities, discourse analysis and metaphor studies.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Postgraduate and Undergraduate Advanced
Illustrations
14 s/w Photographien bzw. Rasterbilder, 6 Farbfotos bzw. farbige Rasterbilder, 1 s/w Tabelle, 6 farbige Abbildungen, 14 s/w Abbildungen
1 Tables, black and white; 6 Halftones, color; 14 Halftones, black and white; 6 Illustrations, color; 14 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-041-09444-9 (9781041094449)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
approx. 11/2026
1st Edition
Routledge
€191.50
Not yet published
Person
Elena Semino is Distinguished Professor in Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University, and Co-director of the ESRC Centre for Corpus Approaches to Social Science. She is co-author of the folllowing Routledge titles : Metaphor, Cancer and the End of Life,Researching Language and Health and HPV Vaccination Discourse Online.
Content
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1 - Why look at metaphors for vaccines?
1.1 Training the immune system to fight: Conventional metaphors for immunity and vaccines
1.2 Balance and music: Different metaphors, different framings
1.3 Thwarting the training: Same metaphors, different arguments
1.4 Snakes and lifebelts: Metaphors in pro- and anti-vaccination cartoons
1.5 But do metaphors actually work?
1.6 The rest of this book, and where I stand on vaccines
Chapter 2 - Dragon slayers and flu heroes: Educational materials for children and adolescents
2.1 Microbes with outer coats: Metaphors, children and education
2.2 'A vaccine is like a memory': A children's book
2.3 Anti-coronavirus knights: Educational videos about the COVID-19 and flu vaccines
2.3 'The protection grows with you': Educational videos about the HPV vaccine
2.4 Conclusion
Chapter 3 - 'They're flame retardants, not impenetrable firewalls': Science communication under pressure
3.1 Snapchat messages and pressures of context
3.2 Roast dinners and personalised cakes: Rapid vaccine development
3.3 Raincoats and seat belts: Vaccines that may not prevent infection
3.4 Covid school and book drafts: Multiple vaccine doses
3.5 Warm water and hurricanes: Low vaccination rates
3.6 Conclusion
Chapter 4 - 'Two lights appear and it's the train': UK Coronavirus press conferences
4.1 Coronavirus press conferences
4.2 Boris Johnson
4.2.1 Fights, races and a heroic narrative for vaccination
4.3 Jonathan Van-Tam
4.3.1 Football metaphors and the role of vaccines at different points in the pandemic
4.3.2 Train travel metaphors and vaccine development
4.3.3 Other ad hoc metaphors for vaccines and COVID-19 variants
4.4 Conclusion
Chapter 5 - From primroses to bubble wrap: Public health campaigns
5.1 Public health campaigns about vaccinations
5.2 Metaphors in Life versus Death public health messaging about vaccination
5.3.1 Light versus dark: World immunization week 2020
5.3.2 Spring rebirth: Italy's 2020-2021 campaign for COVID-19 vaccination
5.3 Variations on the Protection against Attack metaphor
5.3.1 A protective shield: Pakistan's 2025 campaign for HPV vaccination
5.3.2 From pugil sticks to bubble wrap: Seasonal vaccinations campaigns in the United Kingdom
5.4 'Wild to mild': The US National Foundation for Infectious Diseases' campaign for flu vaccination
5.5 Conclusion
Chapter 6 - 'Would you put your child in a car with no seatbelt ?': Pro- and anti-vaccination uses of the Seat belt metaphor in expert and lay debates
6.1 Vaccines as seat belts
6.2 The Seat belt metaphor in philosophical essays
6.3 The Seat belt metaphor on a parenting forum
6.3.1 Pro-vaccination uses of the Seat belt metaphor
6.3.2 Anti-vaccination resistance against the Seat belt metaphor
6.4 Conclusion
Chapter 7 - 'Assault on the mother': Anti-vaccination arguments in the 19th and 21st centuries
7.1. 'It's like you're shooting up a horse'
7.2 'The bloodhound of the childbearing woman': 19th century 'anti-vaccinators'
7.2.1 Aggressive animals, poison and monsters
7.2.2 A 'vaccination war'
7.3 'Assault on the mother': 21st century anti-vaxxers
7.3.1 Assault, pin cushions and a holocaust
7.3.2 'A fight for children's health'
7.4 Conclusion
Chapter 8 - Conclusion
Chapter 1 - Why look at metaphors for vaccines?
1.1 Training the immune system to fight: Conventional metaphors for immunity and vaccines
1.2 Balance and music: Different metaphors, different framings
1.3 Thwarting the training: Same metaphors, different arguments
1.4 Snakes and lifebelts: Metaphors in pro- and anti-vaccination cartoons
1.5 But do metaphors actually work?
1.6 The rest of this book, and where I stand on vaccines
Chapter 2 - Dragon slayers and flu heroes: Educational materials for children and adolescents
2.1 Microbes with outer coats: Metaphors, children and education
2.2 'A vaccine is like a memory': A children's book
2.3 Anti-coronavirus knights: Educational videos about the COVID-19 and flu vaccines
2.3 'The protection grows with you': Educational videos about the HPV vaccine
2.4 Conclusion
Chapter 3 - 'They're flame retardants, not impenetrable firewalls': Science communication under pressure
3.1 Snapchat messages and pressures of context
3.2 Roast dinners and personalised cakes: Rapid vaccine development
3.3 Raincoats and seat belts: Vaccines that may not prevent infection
3.4 Covid school and book drafts: Multiple vaccine doses
3.5 Warm water and hurricanes: Low vaccination rates
3.6 Conclusion
Chapter 4 - 'Two lights appear and it's the train': UK Coronavirus press conferences
4.1 Coronavirus press conferences
4.2 Boris Johnson
4.2.1 Fights, races and a heroic narrative for vaccination
4.3 Jonathan Van-Tam
4.3.1 Football metaphors and the role of vaccines at different points in the pandemic
4.3.2 Train travel metaphors and vaccine development
4.3.3 Other ad hoc metaphors for vaccines and COVID-19 variants
4.4 Conclusion
Chapter 5 - From primroses to bubble wrap: Public health campaigns
5.1 Public health campaigns about vaccinations
5.2 Metaphors in Life versus Death public health messaging about vaccination
5.3.1 Light versus dark: World immunization week 2020
5.3.2 Spring rebirth: Italy's 2020-2021 campaign for COVID-19 vaccination
5.3 Variations on the Protection against Attack metaphor
5.3.1 A protective shield: Pakistan's 2025 campaign for HPV vaccination
5.3.2 From pugil sticks to bubble wrap: Seasonal vaccinations campaigns in the United Kingdom
5.4 'Wild to mild': The US National Foundation for Infectious Diseases' campaign for flu vaccination
5.5 Conclusion
Chapter 6 - 'Would you put your child in a car with no seatbelt ?': Pro- and anti-vaccination uses of the Seat belt metaphor in expert and lay debates
6.1 Vaccines as seat belts
6.2 The Seat belt metaphor in philosophical essays
6.3 The Seat belt metaphor on a parenting forum
6.3.1 Pro-vaccination uses of the Seat belt metaphor
6.3.2 Anti-vaccination resistance against the Seat belt metaphor
6.4 Conclusion
Chapter 7 - 'Assault on the mother': Anti-vaccination arguments in the 19th and 21st centuries
7.1. 'It's like you're shooting up a horse'
7.2 'The bloodhound of the childbearing woman': 19th century 'anti-vaccinators'
7.2.1 Aggressive animals, poison and monsters
7.2.2 A 'vaccination war'
7.3 'Assault on the mother': 21st century anti-vaxxers
7.3.1 Assault, pin cushions and a holocaust
7.3.2 'A fight for children's health'
7.4 Conclusion
Chapter 8 - Conclusion