I read this article thinking from the title it would speak of saber-toothed tigers and like ancient dangers, but instead I saw its focus was the omnipresence of plagues and epidemics in the past.

Trying to imagine how hard it must have been combatting such invisible enemies in the time predating universal cceptance of the "germ theory" of illness. I was both amused and horrified, though, to learn that the mask campaign during the ghastly Spanish Flu was rejected by similar (to today's) rebels calling themselves Libertarians and who knows what?

Also even smallpox vaccination was fought tooth and nail in recent decades, not to mention the fight within my lifetime against flouridating water (still controversial, especially, natch, among Christian Scientists).

Epidemiologists are now voicing their fears of future rejection of a COVID-19 vaccine by a significant percent of the population. Naturally, this would put a major dent in efforts to protect the majority. Looking at our past, such fears seem well founded. Is it just Americans and their "Don't tread on Me" "rugged individualism" or what?

How our ancestors dealt with major disease threats.