Smallpox Vaccination Research Paper

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Smallpox was a disease that plagued humankind for centuries, but it was also the only disease to be completely eradicated by vaccination. Edward Jenner’s discovery of the smallpox vaccination offered protection against the illness where no illness would develop. For the few that did survive smallpox, it was known that they became immune to the disease. Considering this, Jenner’s beginnings in the village of Gloucestershire led to him opening a practice as a village surgeon. While he was in his practice, he realized that the women who milked cows suffering from cowpox did not get smallpox. Subsequently, Jenner took the pus from one of the scabs of a milkmaid, and inoculated a young boy, James Phipps, with it. For that reason, Phipps gained …show more content…

In conclusion, Edward Jenner’s discovery of the smallpox vaccination demonstrated that the vaccine would protect against smallpox where no disease would develop, which prompted the governments of the impacted societies to take action and enforce the vaccination against the virulent disease. The origin of the disease was lost in early history, but smallpox was a disease that dates back to ancient times that did not discriminate against anyone, affecting all levels of society. It conquered kings, queens, emperors, and attacked the lower classes as well. It is spread by physical contact and begins by invading the body through the lungs, spreads throughout the bloodstream, infects the organs, and finally leaves a terrible rash on the skin. A person who has smallpox was typically distinguished by a fever, headache, and vomiting. A pink rash appears after a few days and the hives grow until they eventually dry up and leave a sunken scar. Unfortunately, once the infection has occurred in, there was no effective treatment to cure the disease and over 30% of the cases were fatal, making smallpox the most

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