/oss/taxonomy/term/1996/all en /oss/article/health-history/death-smallpox <p>Edward Jenner, an English country doctor is usually credited with introducing the idea of vaccination because of his landmark publication in 1798 in which he described inoculating 23 people with pus from smallpox pustules. Normally they would have been expected to come down with the disease. But none did!  Why? Because Jenner had previously exposed them to a disease that was well-known among milkmaids, known as cowpox. Somehow this exposure conferred immunity to the far more serious smallpox.</p> Tue, 05 May 2015 07:46:18 +0000 Joe Schwarcz 2255 at /oss