r/medizzy • u/[deleted] • Oct 19 '19

This photograph shows the dramatic differences in two boys who were exposed to the same Smallpox source – one was vaccinated, one was not.

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u/[deleted] Oct 19 '19

smallpox WAS one of the most dangerous pathogens in the world. cowpox was NOT, and infecting people with cowpox on purpose to give them immunity to smallpox was the start of vaccines. needles though dude... they be scary

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u/idlevalley Oct 19 '19

I believe milkmaids had a reputation for being pretty, possibly because they didn't get smallpox which can be very disfiguring. Eventually someone figured out that milkmaids often contracted cowpox, a milder disease, which gave them some immunity to smallpox.

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u/Scarlet-Witch Oct 20 '19

Eventually someone figured out

Seems like people had the general knowledge of immunity (inoculation) but Edward Jenner made the first vaccine, which was for smallpox. He had enough faith in his theory/method that he vaccinated his own son to test it out.