Thursday, May 8, 2025

Which disease was the target of the first successful vaccination? Answer

| Thursday, May 8, 2025

 Which disease was the target of the first successful vaccination? Answer

The disease that was the target of the first successful vaccination was smallpox. In the late 18th century, English physician Edward Jenner made the groundbreaking observation that milkmaids who had previously contracted cowpox, a milder illness transmitted from cows, appeared to be immune to the devastating disease of smallpox. Based on this, Jenner hypothesized that intentionally exposing individuals to cowpox could offer protection against smallpox.

In 1796, Jenner conducted a pivotal experiment. He took material from a cowpox blister on a milkmaid named Sarah Nelmes and inoculated it into the arm of an eight-year-old boy, James Phipps. James developed a mild case of cowpox and subsequently recovered. Jenner then deliberately exposed James to smallpox, and remarkably, the boy did not develop the disease. This successful demonstration of cross-immunity marked the birth of vaccination, a revolutionary medical advancement that would eventually lead to the global eradication of smallpox in 1980.

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