The prevention and eradication of smallpox: a commentary on Sloane (1755) 'An account of inoculation'

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
Robin A Weiss, José Esparza

Abstract

Sir Hans Sloane's account of inoculation as a means to protect against smallpox followed several earlier articles published in Philosophical Transactions on this procedure. Inoculation (also called 'variolation') involved the introduction of small amounts of infectious material from smallpox vesicles into the skin of healthy subjects, with the goal of inducing mild symptoms that would result in protection against the more severe naturally acquired disease. It began to be practised in England in 1721 thanks to the efforts of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu who influenced Sloane to promote its use, including the inoculation of the royal family's children. When Edward Jenner's inoculation with the cow pox ('vaccination') followed 75 years later as a safer yet equally effective procedure, the scene was set for the eventual control of smallpox epidemics culminating in the worldwide eradication of smallpox in 1977, officially proclaimed by WHO in 1980. Here, we discuss the significance of variolation and vaccination with respect to scientific, public health and ethical controversies concerning these 'weapons of mass protection'. This commentary was written to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the journal Philosophical Transactions of the ...Continue Reading

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Citations

Dec 23, 2015·The Journal of General Virology·Robin A Weiss
Jul 27, 2018·PLoS Pathogens·José EsparzaClarissa R Damaso
Oct 27, 2017·Journal of Medical Ethics·Euzebiusz Jamrozik
May 31, 2020·Immunological Reviews·Mona O MohsenMartin F Bachmann
Mar 24, 2017·Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease·Arnaud Tarantola
Jul 12, 2018·Journal of Immunology Research·David Alex Cronkite, Tara M Strutt
Jul 1, 2020·The New Bioethics : a Multidisciplinary Journal of Biotechnology and the Body·Zoe-Athena Papalois, Kyriaki-Barbara Papalois
Dec 22, 2020·PLoS Biology·Olga Krylova, David J D Earn

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