Historia de la ciencia: ¿cómo se creó la vacuna contra la viruela?

Summary

This script narrates the history of smallpox, a deadly disease that once plagued humanity, and the groundbreaking innovation of vaccination that led to its eradication. In the 18th century, British physician Edward Jenner discovered that exposure to cowpox could confer immunity to smallpox. His experiments with young James Phipps confirmed this, leading to widespread vaccination campaigns. Despite initial resistance and controversy, the method of using orphaned children to maintain the vaccine's potency was employed to bring it to Peru by the end of the century. Jenner's work has since saved millions of lives and marked a significant milestone in health history.

Takeaways

• 😷 Smallpox was the most deadly disease in human history, feared for both its mortality rate and the disfiguring scars it left on survivors.
• 🌍 The impact of smallpox in Peru was devastating, arriving during the discovery and conquest when the native population had no immunity.
• 🤒 The death of Inca Huayna Capac is suspected to be due to smallpox, marking the end of the Inca era.
• 💉 Smallpox no longer exists, having been eradicated largely thanks to one of the most impactful scientific innovations: the discovery of the vaccine.
• 👨‍⚕️ In the mid-18th century, British rural physician Edward Jenner noticed a popular rumor that milkmaids were immune to smallpox, leading him to investigate the link between cowpox exposure and immunity.
• 🧬 Jenner's experiment with James Phipps, inoculating him with a weakened dose of cowpox, demonstrated that exposure to an attenuated version of a disease could confer immunity.
• 🇬🇧 The British crown began promoting free vaccination campaigns after Jenner's results were validated by the British Medical Society.
• 🌐 Other empires, including the Spanish crown, followed Britain's example, initiating vaccination efforts.
• 🛡️ The real philanthropic vaccine expedition used an original and risky method of preserving the vaccine by using hundreds of orphaned children as a means of vaccine conservation.
• 🚶‍♂️ The controversial and unorthodox method of transferring the vaccine fluid from one child to another over months was used to bring the vaccine to Peru by the end of the 18th century.
• 🤔 Reception of the vaccine was mixed, with fears of acquiring animal properties, criticism of using children, concerns about side effects, and accusations of the crown using vaccination as a means to tax the population.
• 🏆 Despite challenges, the effort to bring the vaccine to remote parts of the Americas is a notable milestone in health history, with Jenner now recognized as one of the most influential scientists in history, and vaccines having saved millions of lives.

Q & A

What is the disease that has killed the most people in human history?

Smallpox has been the disease that has killed the most people in human history.

Why was smallpox particularly feared during its time?

Smallpox was feared not only for the deaths it caused but also for the disfiguring marks it left on survivors.

What was the impact of smallpox on the native population in Peru during the discovery and conquest period?

The impact of smallpox on the native population in Peru was devastating, as they had no immunity to the disease.

Who is believed to have died from smallpox, marking the end of the Inca era?

It is believed that the Inca Huayna Cápac died from smallpox, signaling the end of the Inca era.

What medical innovation is largely credited with the eradication of smallpox?

The discovery of the vaccine is largely credited with the eradication of smallpox.

Who was the British rural physician that noticed a possible link between cowpox and immunity to smallpox?

Edward Jenner was the British rural physician who noticed a possible link between cowpox and immunity to smallpox.

What experiment did Edward Jenner perform to test his hypothesis about cowpox and smallpox immunity?

Edward Jenner inoculated an 8-year-old boy, James Phipps, with a weakened dose of cowpox and later exposed him to smallpox without any signs of infection, proving his hypothesis.

How did the British Crown respond to Jenner's findings on vaccination?

The British Crown validated Jenner's results and started promoting free vaccination campaigns throughout its territory.

What was the method used to transport the vaccine to the Americas in the 18th century, given the lack of modern refrigeration?

The vaccine was transported using an original and risky method: inoculating hundreds of orphaned children with the vaccine, and then using the fresh fluid from the resulting pustules to inoculate another child, repeating the process over the course of the journey.

What were some of the misconceptions and fears that arose in Peru when the vaccine was introduced?

Misconceptions included the belief that vaccination could give people animal properties, criticism of using children as a means of transporting the vaccine, fears about side effects, and accusations that the crown was using vaccination as a way to censor the population for tax collection.

How is Edward Jenner viewed in the history of science today?

Edward Jenner is considered one of the most transcendent scientists in history, and his work on vaccines has saved millions of lives.