The history of vaccines

 The World Health Organization (WHO) plots the timeline from Edward Jenner and the creation of the first vaccine (smallpox) in 1796 through to 2020 and the Covid vaccination programme. 

A detailed history is also offered here. 

1796 - the smallpox vaccine

The WHO details how, in July 1796, Dr Edward Jenner inoculated a person with matter from a human smallpox sore in order to test their resistance. Apparently, it was successful at warding off the illness.  

The term ‘vaccine’ was later coined, taken from the Latin word for cow, ‘vacca’. 

The 1800s 

In the late 1880s, Louis Pasteur developed the first laboratory-produced vaccines for cholera and rabies – but these were largely untested on humans and deemed too risky for general use.

The 1900s 

The Spanish flu pandemic in 1918 to 1919 led to a great rush (indeed, it was termed a military priority) to produce a flu vaccine.  

Although 2 million doses were tested, results were very inconclusive. 

Subsequent studies have shown that the vast majority of death occurred through pneumonia as a secondary infection, possibly caused by the wearing of masks. The race to develop vaccines for viruses continued, however.  

It was almost another 30 years before a flu vaccine was approved – initially only for military use. 

From the 1930s onwards, various vaccines were developed and deployed including yellow fever, polio, pertussis (whooping cough), diphtheria and tetanus. 

Mass vaccination 

From the late 1960s onwards, the WHO intensified its work to eradicate diseases through vaccination – beginning with smallpox. 

Many more vaccines have since been developed, including hepatitis B, MMR (which combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccines), rotavirus, haemophilus influenzae (Hib), meningitis, Ebola and malaria. 

The first HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine, intended to prevent cervical cancer, was approved in 2006.