The Allergy Epidemic - a proud son recognizes his father

Back in the early 1970s, my father, Dr. John Gerrard, then a Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Saskatchewn in Saskatoon, was measuring the levels of Immunoglobulin E. To his surprise he found results which suggested that a higher incidence of allergies was related to decreased exposure to various infectious diseases. He published this observation in the Annals of Allergy in 1976. In the years since more and more evidence for this concept has accumulated and now it is fairly generally believed that one of the reasons for the increase in allergies today is a result of decreased exposure to infectious diseases in children. In the June 5th issure of Maclean's Magazine, on page 37, credit is given to my father for his insight 30 years ago.