⏰ when
When Was the First Vaccine Developed?
medicinehistory
Quick Answer
Edward Jenner created the first vaccine in 1796 against smallpox.
The Full Story
In 1796 English physician Edward Jenner inoculated eight-year-old James Phipps with material from a cowpox sore, demonstrating protection against smallpox. Jenner published his findings in 1798, coining the term "vaccine" from the Latin vacca (cow). His work laid the foundation for immunology, and smallpox was eventually declared eradicated by the WHO in 1980 — the only human disease to be fully eradicated through vaccination.
Key Facts
1.Jenner's method was based on the observation that milkmaids who caught cowpox rarely got smallpox.
2.Smallpox killed an estimated 300 million people in the 20th century alone before eradication.
3.The WHO certified smallpox eradication on 8 May 1980.
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"Edward Jenner's Brave Experiment — The Birth of Vaccination"