Lost Immunity presents a scenario just a little too real these days. Dr. Lisa Dyer has a new position as the Chief Public Health Officer for Seattle. Her first challenge arrives quickly in the form of a deadly outbreak of an antibiotic resistant strain of meningitis among teens and children at a bible camp. The infection spreads rapidly and young people start dying, as Dr. Dyer and her team rush to attempt to get the outbreak under control and prevent a new pandemic. Her work and personal life is fraught with challenges - a crumbling marriage, a seriously ill friend and colleague, misinformation and fear-mongering.

This can be a difficult read, as we head into the looming prospect of a 4th wave, however this novel treats the subject matter with great sensitivity. Daniel Kalla does a bang-up job of presenting the pressures of making scary and difficult public health decisions in rapidly changing conditions and manages to entertain while dispelling myths. The motivations and beliefs behind the anti-vaccine/vaccine hesitant movement are treated with great respect and understanding, while at the same time presenting a logical case for vaccines. The plot also touches on corporate greed in capitalizing on public health crises, and legitimate but rare complications or severe reactions to vaccines.

All in all, I was impressed with the way this topic was handled at such a sensitive moment in time. Well done, Dr. Kalla.