Exploring the Allure of Extreme Experiences

In his “In Times Past” column, David W. Dunlap delves into New York Times history by exploring artifacts at the Museum of The Times. A compelling artifact is a carton of the Ixiaro vaccine, crucial for reporters venturing into regions where diseases like Japanese encephalitis, spread by mosquitoes, are endemic. This disease, akin to yellow fever and dengue, poses significant risks in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific. Donald G. McNeil Jr., a seasoned journalist with extensive experience covering pandemics, donated the Ixiaro carton to the museum. In an email, he noted the symptoms range from mild fever to, in extreme cases, seizures and death. The vaccine isn’t mandatory for all travelers but offers protection for those sleeping in unscreened rural accommodations.

McNeil, the author of “The Wisdom of Plagues: Lessons From 25 Years of Covering Pandemics” and a contributor to Medium, worked at The Times from 1976 to 2021, gaining profound insight into infectious diseases, most recently Covid-19. His assignments often led him to tropical locales. In 2014, with new vaccines greenlit by the FDA, he visited the New York Center for Travel and Tropical Medicine, requesting to be “shot up with everything.”

He received five vaccinations: Ixiaro, RabAvert (rabies), Typhim Vi (typhoid), a booster for tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, and likely an inactivated polio vaccine, although this wasn’t noted on his vaccine card. McNeil reported no adverse side effects, except mild nausea from a shingles shot. The rabies vaccine was a precautionary measure, given his work occasionally brought him close to animals in rural areas, where encounters with stray dogs or wildlife are conceivable.