Vaccination is a miracle of modern medicine. In the past 50 years, it’s saved more lives worldwide than any other medical product or procedure. But the fascinating story of vaccination goes back all the way to ancient Greece.
429 BC: Thucydides notices that smallpox survivors do not get re-infected
As long ago as 429 BC, the Greek historian Thucydides observed that those who survived the smallpox plague in Athens did not become re-infected with the disease.
900 AD: Chinese discover variolation
The Chinese were the first to discover and use a primitive form of vaccination called variolation. It was carried out as early as the 10th century, and particularly between the 14th and 17th centuries.
The aim was to prevent smallpox by exposing healthy people to tissue from the scabs caused by the disease. They did this by either putting it under the skin or, more often, inserting powdered scabs from smallpox pustules up the nose.
1700s: Variolation spreads around the world
Variolation eventually spread to Turkey, and arrived in England in the early 18th century. At this time, smallpox was the most infectious disease in Europe. It struck rich and poor, and killed up to one-fifth of those infected in numerous epidemics. Variolation caused mild illness but, although it occasionally caused death, smallpox rates were lower in populations that tried it.
1796: Edward Jenner discovers vaccination
British physician, Dr Edward Jenner (pictured above), discovered vaccination in its modern form and proved to the scientific community that it worked.
1803: Royal Jennerian Institute founded
Support for vaccination grew. Jenner was awarded government funding, and in 1803 the Royal Jennerian Institute was founded. Vaccination became popular throughout Europe and, soon after, the US.
1870s: Violent opposition to vaccination
Although vaccination was taken up enthusiastically by many, there was some violent opposition as it became more widespread. People found it hard to believe that it really worked. They also felt that it took away people's civil liberties, particularly now that it was compulsory.
1880s: A vaccine against rabies
Louis Pasteur improved vaccination even more, and developed a vaccine against rabies.
As the science of immunology developed and scientists began to understand more about how diseases worked, other vaccines were created.
1890: Emil von Behring discovers the basis of diphtheria and tetanus vaccines
German scientist, Emil von Behring, was awarded the first Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Shibasaburo Kitasato discovered the antitoxins of diphtheria and tetanus. He demonstrated that animals injected with small amounts of the tetanus toxin became immune to the disease.
1920s: Vaccines become widely available
By the end of the 1920s, vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and tuberculosis (TB) were all available. Vaccination spread across the globe and although these early vaccines were crude, they worked. The first vaccination programmes dramatically reduced the number of deaths from disease, and they were crucial in establishing the concept of preventive public health measures.
1955: Polio vaccination begins
Polio vaccination was introduced in the UK and it dramatically reduced the number of cases. Nowadays, polio is extremely rare and is close to being completely eliminated from the planet.
1956: WHO fights to eradicate smallpox
The first attempt to use smallpox vaccine on a global scale began when the World Health Organization (WHO) decided to try and eradicate smallpox across the world.
1980: Smallpox eradicated from the world
Smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980. It was one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of medicine.
2008: Cervical cancer scientist awarded Nobel Prize
The scientist who discovered that cervical cancer was caused by a virus made it possible for scientists to develop a vaccine for cervical cancer. Professor Harald zur Hausen proved that a group of viruses called human papillomaviruses (HPV) caused cervical cancer. This discovery led to the development of the HPV vaccine which protects against cervical cancer, and which is now widely available.
2008: NHS vaccinates girls against cancer
In England, the NHS cervical cancer vaccination programme began. It’s the first time that a routine universal vaccine has been given to prevent a type of cancer.
