Who Discovered Smallpox Vaccine

General
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Who Discovered Smallpox Vaccine

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Who Discovered Smallpox Vaccine?

Answer:

The smallpox vaccine was discovered by Edward Jenner, an English physician, in 1796.

Solution By Steps:

  1. Background on Smallpox:

    • Smallpox was a highly contagious and deadly disease caused by the variola virus.
    • Symptoms included fever, rash, and blisters.

  2. Observation of Cowpox:

    • Edward Jenner observed that milkmaids who had contracted cowpox, a milder disease, seemed immune to smallpox.
    • Cowpox is caused by a virus similar to smallpox but less severe.

  3. Development of the Vaccine:

    • In 1796, Jenner conducted an experiment by inoculating James Phipps, an eight-year-old boy, with material from cowpox sores.
    • He later exposed Phipps to smallpox, and remarkably, the boy did not develop the disease.

  4. Significance:

    • Jenner’s method, known as vaccination (from “vacca,” the Latin word for cow), laid the groundwork for modern immunology.
    • His work led to the eventual eradication of smallpox in 1980, a monumental public health achievement.

This pioneering work by Jenner set the stage for the development of vaccines for other infectious diseases.