Edward Jenner Flashcards
How the vaccine came about, reactions to the vaccine, and government action.
Who was Edward Jenner?
a local surgeon who was inoculated as a child and still bore the scars.
What did Edward Jenner notice?
milkmaids who got cowpox never suffered from smallpox
Edward Jenner’s experiment
- on James Phipps
- took cowpox puss from blisters and applied it to an incision in his arm
- he became mildly ill with cowpox then recovered
- then gave him smallpox puss and made full recovery from smallpox
Negative reactions to Edward Jenner’s vaccine
- the Royal Society refused to publish his work not believing in a country doctor
- some people thought it was dangerous
- anti-vaxxers said they would not use God’s lowlier animals
- people thought smallpox was God’s punishment
- it was expensive
When did Edward Jenner test his theory?
in 1796
Why was vaccination accepted?
- Jenner proved the effectiveness of vaccination through scientific experiment
- vaccination was less dangerous than inoculation
- members of the royal family were vaccinated which changed opinions
When did Edward Jenner publish his findings?
1798 - An Inquiry into the causes and effects of the Varioae Vaccinae
When did the government back Jenner?
1802 - £10,000 given to Jenner
1807 - a further £20,000 when the Royal College of Physicians confirmed how effective it was
Government laws on vaccination
1840 - vaccination made free to all infants (due to 1837-40 epidemic)
1853 - vaccination became compulsory but not strictly enforced
1871 - parents not vaccinating children were fined
