A historical perspective

Just over 200 years ago, Edward Jenner carried out his pioneering studies which laid the foundations of the science of vaccinology. By inoculating people with cowpox virus, he was able to show that this could prevent smallpox. Indeed, the word vaccination is derived from the Latin ‘vacca’, which means cow.

At first, his ideas met with violent opposition. However, within a remarkably short period, thousands of people were being vaccinated. Widespread vaccination was encouraged through six Acts of Parliament between 1840 and 1871, making vaccination universally available, free and ultimately, compulsory. In fact, the legislation compelling individuals to be vaccinated was only withdrawn in 1948.

One hundred years after Jenner came the research of Louis Pasteur, now regarded as the true father of modern vaccinology. After proving the germ theory of disease, he turned his attention to prevention. He noted that birds vaccinated with a harmless culture of the organism which caused chicken cholera became resistant to more virulent versions of it. This was the first demonstration of ‘attenuation’, or weakening, of the ability of an organism to produce disease while keeping its ability to produce immunity. He went on to demonstrate the same phenomenon in the development of vaccines which could prevent anthrax and rabies.

As a result of the pioneering work of Pasteur and others such as Ernst Lederle, the 20th century saw a major development of vaccines and, by the end of the century, mass vaccination campaigns were common throughout the world.

The first infectious disease to be eliminated completely from the world was smallpox. Through a worldwide vaccination programme organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the UK was able to stop vaccination in the mid 1970s. The last case of naturally-occurring smallpox was recorded in Somalia in 1977. In May 1980 the WHO announced that smallpox had been eradicated worldwide.

It is predicted that within the first decade of this century, we could eradicate polio and we have a similar opportunity to eradicate measles if vaccination coverage remains at a high level.