Vaccinations are a dream of modernity. They promise the eradication of dangerous epidemics, a decline in child mortality, and the control of collective health conditions. Therefore, vaccination is never just about the health and illness of the individual. Vaccination programs always aim at optimizing the body politic or public health. This book traces the history of vaccination for the first time from the 19th century to the present: from the German Empire through the Weimar Republic to the Nazi era and into the Federal Republic and East Germany. It sheds light on national and international debates about vaccination mandates and programs, the research and marketing of vaccines, as well as the everyday practice of vaccination in vaccination centers and medical practices. The history of vaccination is a story of fears and hopes. In the fight against smallpox, diphtheria, and polio, against tuberculosis and measles.