Member-only story
The Smallpox Vaccination Campaign
A tale of death, innovation, vaccine resistance and eradication
I have a scar on my left arm. It’s a small, circular indentation. You see, I was vaccinated for smallpox when I was a child. So was most of the world.
Smallpox is a serious disease. It may have ravaged people for up to 12,000 years. It first appeared in Africa. The mummy of the Egyptian Pharaoh, Ramses V, who died in 1157 B.C., shows evidence of smallpox lesions.
It killed 300 million people since 1900 — and up to 500 million in the century before it was eradicated. Smallpox may have been the main cause for the deaths of over 90% of the indigenous population in the Americas.
What is smallpox?
Smallpox is a highly infectious disease. Caused by the variola virus, it spread mainly when people coughed or sneezed. Early signs of the disease include a fever, skin rash and vomiting. The rash first develops inside the mouth and on the tongue. It eventually spreads to all parts of the body. Sores form. Filled with thick fluid, they are often indented. At some point the sores scab over and fall off, leaving behind pits upon the skin.
The infected person is contagious from the first sign of symptoms until the scabs have fallen off.
