Today in History

May 14, 1796

The First Smallpox Vaccination

On May 14, 1796, physician Edward Jenner administered the first smallpox vaccination to 8 year old James Phipps. Wife's tales indicated that milkmaids who contracted the milder cowpox never caught the more deadly smallpox. Jenner's work was also preceded by Chinese and Turkish practices of inoculating with weakened cowpox and smallpox derivatives. In 1977, in an effort coordinated by the World Health Organization, smallpox became the first disease eradicated from the world's population by the use of vaccinations.

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