Alfriston author has her book translated into Japanese to encourage Covid-19 vaccines

Dr June Goodfield, 95, wrote The Planned Miracle which looked at the world’s collaborative attempt to eradicate smallpox through vaccination. She even featured on the BBC Terry Wogan Show to share her experience of writing the book at the time.

Now more than 30 years on, The Planned Miracle is being translated into Japanese to help stem Covid-19 deaths in Asia.

Dr Goodfield said she’s ‘delighted’ her book is being used in light of the world’s latest pandemic.

She said, “I am just pleased if my book can be of some use. What led me to writing about the challenges of vaccination in the poorer countries was that in the early 1980’s I realised that two whales stranded in the Arctic were getting more media coverage than thousands of children and babies dying from smallpox – a preventable virus. The amount of children dying was equivalent to one Hiroshima bomb exploding every day, yet incredulously it was barely mentioned.”

Dr Goodfield said she’s been told the hope is for the Japanses population to get vaccinated against Covid-19 after reading the book.

She said, “I want people to see the lessons learnt all those years ago and how essential it is to be vaccinated. We are lucky to be living in a country that has an excellent programme to stop deaths from this virus.”