Celebrating the death of smallpox – and a short history of vaccination

The World Health Organisation is voting on whether to destroy the last few remaining samples of the smallpox virus.

Smallpox is the only virus that affects humans that’s ever been eradicated, but it took nearly 200 years from the discovery of the smallpox vaccination in 1796 to eradication in 1979. In the 19^th century the British government hesitated about bringing in mandatory vaccination, proposing an amendment to the law that would make allowances for conscientious objectors. The Spectator thought that was a terrible idea.

‘Because these people have the sincerity to sacrifice their own children, we are to let them spread the disease everywhere. We are to make a law for the general good, but allow every man to have his own opinion as to the policy of enforcing it…It is impossible that such a principle can be followed, unless we are prepared to make vaccination an open question. We cannot admit that the benefits of it are so doubtful as to justify a parent in refusing it to his child, and at the same time maintain that its benefits are so great as to require its adoption under a penalty.