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

PUCP

30 Mar 201804:30

Summary

TLDRThis 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.

Outlines

00:00

🦠 The Devastating Impact of Smallpox and the Dawn of Vaccination

Jorge Lossio introduces the topic by highlighting smallpox as the deadliest disease in human history, feared for its high mortality rate and the disfiguring scars it left on survivors. The disease had a catastrophic impact on the native Peruvian population during the time of discovery and conquest, as they had no immunity. It is believed that the last Inca, Huayna Cápac, died from smallpox, marking the end of the Inca era. The script then shifts to discuss the eradication of smallpox, largely due to one of the most impactful scientific innovations: the discovery of the vaccine. Vaccines have since protected millions of children in their early years of life.

🧬 Edward Jenner's Pioneering Vaccine Research

The script delves into the story of Edward Jenner, a British rural physician in the mid-18th century, who noticed a popular belief that milkmaids developed immunity to smallpox. Intrigued by this, Jenner investigated the connection between exposure to cowpox and immunity to smallpox. He conducted an experiment by inoculating an 8-year-old boy, James Phipps, with a weakened dose of cowpox. After exposing Phipps to a stronger dose of human smallpox, he showed no signs of infection, proving Jenner's hypothesis that exposure to a milder form of the disease could confer immunity.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 The British Crown's Promotion of Vaccination

Following Jenner's successful demonstration, he vaccinated many more children and adults and presented his findings to the British Medical Society. His results were validated, and the British crown began promoting free vaccination campaigns throughout its territory. In the subsequent years, other empires, including the Spanish crown, followed the British example, initiating vaccination efforts in their colonies.

🧪 The Original and Risky Method of Vaccine Preservation

The script describes the innovative yet controversial method used during the time when modern refrigeration mechanisms did not exist. The 'Royal Philanthropic Expedition' of the vaccine involved using hundreds of orphaned children as a means of preserving the vaccine. The process involved inoculating children with the vaccine fluid, waiting for pustules to form, extracting the fresh fluid from these pustules, and then inoculating another child with this fluid. This method was repeated over several months during the journey from Spain to the Americas.

🛡 The Controversial Reception of the Vaccine in Peru

Despite the successful delivery of the vaccine to Peru by the end of the 18th century, the script notes that the reception was mixed. There were fears that vaccination would bestow animal properties on humans, criticism of using children as a means of vaccine transport, concerns about side effects, and accusations that the crown was using vaccination as a pretext to monitor the population for tax collection purposes. Despite these challenges, the effort to bring the vaccine to remote parts of the Americas is recognized as a significant milestone in health history.

🌟 Jenner's Legacy and the Lifesaving Power of Vaccines

The script concludes by acknowledging Jenner as one of the most pivotal scientists in history, whose work with vaccines has saved millions of lives throughout history. The importance of vaccination in protecting children and preventing deadly diseases is emphasized, highlighting the enduring impact of Jenner's discovery.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Smallpox

Smallpox is a highly contagious and deadly infectious disease that has historically caused significant mortality and left survivors with disfiguring scars. In the script, it is mentioned as the disease that has probably killed more people than any other in human history, highlighting its devastating impact on the native Peruvian population during the time of discovery and conquest.

💡Immunity

Immunity refers to the ability of an organism to resist a particular infection or toxin by recognizing and neutralizing the pathogen. In the context of the video, the concept of immunity is central to the story of Edward Jenner's discovery of the smallpox vaccine, as he observed that milkmaids who had cowpox were immune to smallpox.

💡Vaccine

A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular disease. The script discusses the invention of the smallpox vaccine by Edward Jenner, which marked a significant innovation in the history of science and has since saved millions of lives by preventing the disease.

💡Edward Jenner

Edward Jenner is known as the pioneer of the smallpox vaccine and is considered one of the most influential scientists in history. The script describes his observation of the immunity of milkmaids to smallpox and his subsequent experiments that led to the development of the vaccine.

💡Cowpox

Cowpox is a disease similar to smallpox but less severe, affecting cattle. In the script, Jenner's observation of the immunity of milkmaids who had been exposed to cowpox is a key part of the story, as it led to his hypothesis that exposure to a milder form of the disease could confer immunity.

💡Inoculation

Inoculation is the process of introducing a vaccine into the body to stimulate immunity to a particular disease. The script recounts Jenner's inoculation of James Phipps with a weakened form of cowpox, which demonstrated that exposure to an attenuated version of the disease could prevent infection.

💡James Phipps

James Phipps was an eight-year-old boy who played a crucial role in Jenner's experiment. The script mentions Phipps as the subject of Jenner's first successful vaccination, which proved that inoculation with cowpox could confer immunity to smallpox.

💡Philanthropic Vaccine Expedition

The Philanthropic Vaccine Expedition refers to the original and risky method used to transport the smallpox vaccine from Spain to the Americas in the 18th century. The script describes how hundreds of orphaned children were used as a means of preserving the vaccine during the journey, highlighting the innovative yet controversial approach taken at the time.

💡Orphaned Children

In the script, orphaned children were utilized in the Philanthropic Vaccine Expedition as a method to maintain the viability of the vaccine. They were inoculated with the vaccine, and after a period, the pus from the resulting pustules was used to inoculate another child, continuing the chain across the ocean.

💡Controversy

Controversy in the script refers to the various concerns and opposition that arose in response to the use of the vaccine. It includes the fear of acquiring animal properties from the vaccine, the ethical concerns about using children as a means of vaccine transport, and suspicions about the crown's motives for vaccination campaigns.

💡Health Milestone

A health milestone is a significant achievement or turning point in the history of health and medicine. The script mentions the successful delivery of the smallpox vaccine to Peru as one of the most notable milestones in health history, emphasizing the impact of vaccination on saving lives.

Highlights

Smallpox is considered the deadliest disease in human history, causing not only death but also leaving marks on survivors.

The impact of smallpox in Peru was devastating, arriving during the discovery and conquest when the native population had no immunity.

It is suspected that the Inca Huayna Capac died from smallpox, marking the end of the Inca era.

Smallpox has been eradicated from the planet, largely thanks to the discovery of the vaccine.

Vaccines have allowed millions of children to survive their early years.

In the mid-18th century, British rural doctor Edward Jenner noticed a popular rumor about farmers developing immunity to smallpox from cowpox.

Jenner conducted experiments to test his hypothesis about the relationship between cowpox exposure and immunity to smallpox.

Jenner inoculated 8-year-old James Phipps with a weakened dose of cowpox and later exposed him to smallpox with no signs of infection.

Jenner's experiments demonstrated that exposure to an attenuated version of a disease could generate immunity.

Jenner's results were validated, and the British crown began promoting free vaccination campaigns.

Other empires, including the Spanish crown, started to follow the British example by promoting vaccination.

In the absence of modern refrigeration, the real philanthropic vaccine expedition used hundreds of orphan children as a means of vaccine preservation.

The controversial method involved inoculating children with vaccine fluid and then extracting fresh fluid from them to inoculate others.

Despite the lack of modern amenities, this method successfully brought the vaccine to Peru by the end of the 18th century.

The reception of the vaccine was mixed, with some fearing animal properties, condemning the use of children, and fearing side effects.

Jenner is now considered one of the most transcendent scientists in history, and vaccines have saved millions of lives throughout history.