This day marks the end of one of the diseases that haunted humanity for centuries. On December 9, 1979, nearly ten years after the World Health Organization began a global vaccination program against smallpox, the disease was officially declared eradicated. This is moreover important because this was the first time that a disease had been banished from the earth because of modern medical science. The smallpox vaccination programme became a model for later efforts to eradicate polio and several lesser known diseases.
WHO had earlier started a plan to rid the world of smallpox, however, the campaign suffered from a lack of funds and commitment from member nations. It was only in 1967 that the global health body intensified the Eradication Programme with a promise of renewed efforts. We have been dealing with the Coronavirus for more than a year now so remember that we're talking about the disease here that went back as far back as the 4th century and beyond.
Even though the origin of smallpox is unknown, the earliest written description of the disease appeared in China in the 4th century CE. Early written descriptions also appeared in India in the 7th century. The finding of smallpox-like rashes on Egyptian mummies suggests that smallpox has existed for at least 3,000 years.
What is interesting is that the history of smallpox is intertwined with the history of vaccination. In 1796, Edward Jenner inoculated a 13 year-old-boy with vaccinia virus (cowpox) and demonstrated immunity to smallpox. He is considered the founder of vaccinology. Soon after that, in 1798, the first smallpox vaccine was developed. This was the first ever vaccine the world had ever witnessed.
