Smallpox is a disease that is contagious and sometimes deadly. The last known human case was in 1977. There are two types forms of smallpox: Variola Major and Variola Minor according to the CDC. The first 48 hours of symptoms include fever, headache, nausea, and more. Then a rash begins to form in the mouth, throat, and face only to spreads to the rest of the body. After a week or so the pussed filled lesions start to grow a crust then scabbing over to fall off 3-4 weeks later.
Edward Jenner is the creator of the first vaccine and he created the smallpox vaccine in 1796. He was known as an English physician and scientist and he believed that if you give a person cowpox which was thought to be the smallpox of cows, it would give immunity to the human race and stop the spread of smallpox.
According to writer Tim O’Shea, Jenner started to make his vaccine by taking a calf and tying it down on it’s side. He then made roughly 40 one inch incisions in the cafe’s stomach and rubbed smallpox pus into the incisions. One week later, once the lesions formed the cafe was tied town again the crested lesions were scraped off. The remaining blood, lymph and pus was drained out and heated adding glycerine as a binder. Mixed and strained to remove unwanted items like hair and flesh, the smallpox vaccine was then put it tubes and became a sensation.
Jenner then injected his first patient, an eight year old, he then sold himself to the people has being guaranteeing lifetime immunity to smallpox. The vaccine was a rave and the British Parliament gave Jenners 30,000 pounds.
With being born after the vaccine was stopped, the first time I heard of the smallpox vaccine was when I was at a lake with my parents, I noticed a scar my dad’s arm. I asked him what happen he told me “Your mom shot me.” I believed him but eventually he told me that it was from something called the smallpox vaccine. I never thought more about it, but for some reason this memory has stayed with me. This process left a scar on the left arm from a doctor using a knife and scraping the skin and rubbing the vaccine into the skin.
All of us have heard out this vaccine has saved thousands of lives and even wiped out smallpox, as of 1972 the CDC stopped the vaccine due to believing they had the disease under control. Now keep in mind, the last known case was in 1977. So magically they just trusted the vaccine had done its job enough to finish off the last cases? Actually in 1929 most states stop forcing the smallpox disease. Many states thought to stop the vaccine due to complications.
Let’s talk about more interesting facts... the 8 year old that got the vaccine first and then again 20 more times died at the age of 20. He wasn’t the only case, Jenner’s son died at 21 after being vaccinated over and over again.
Now I am usually looked at by this point that I am the devil. That the smallpox vaccine saved hundreds of lives and without talking about the difference of cowpox and smallpox, I want to talk about the reason why I don’t think vaccines should be mandated. I think it should be a parents right to make the decision for their children and themselves.
My first vaccine book I read was The Sanctity of Human Blood by Tim O’Shea referred in a seminar. I went home and ordered it off Amazon used for $16. It is a really easy read for people who do not have a medical background. It was also very well cited. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in looking into the history of vaccines.
I read it once, and was shocked. The second time I read it I began bookmarking sections.I used a colored yellow tab for good information. I used a colored green tab for money. I used a colored blue tab for government involvement. I used a colored purple tab for a specific incident in history. I used a colored pink tab for death. This may not mean anything to you, but every time I use a purple tab, it is followed by the pink tab. Let me show you cases in history that ended in death because of the smallpox vaccine that Tim O’Shea shares in his book.
In 1834 Persia passed a law that mandated the smallpox vaccine as infants, and re-vaccinated before starting school, after graduating school, and again entering the army. It is safe to say that 100% of Persians got the smallpox vaccine. 35 years of 100% of Persia being vaccinated they had a smallpox epidemic and which killed almost 125,000 persians.
After WW1, the US had too many smallpox vaccine so they took the extra to the Philippines and mandated the vaccine. In 1917 over 25 million shots were given and the death rate from smallpox quadrupled in the Philippines to roughly 163,000.
During the Boer War in Africa reports of 86,000 men were killed due to the war. Even with 100% of inoculation, an additional 96,000 men died due to smallpox.
Edward Jenner made a promise for life long immunity and he did not live up to his word. Other people are copying him and making the same promises. Are they failing their promises too?
In my next blog, we will start with the very first vaccine given to children, Hepatitis B.
Saving Intuition...
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WARNING:
My blogs that I post will be things in my opinion that I have done research on. If you do not agree/like what I have to say, please do not read my blog. Do not try to tell me I am wrong or try to prove me wrong. Refer to my first blogs, if you are still not ok with my blog. If you have questions, I am happy to answer them to the best of my ability.
WORK CITED
Department of Health. “Fact Sheet on Smallpox.” Vermont Department of Health. 2011. Burlington VT. 17 May 2012. <http://healthvermont.gov/emerg/smallpox/smallpox_fact.aspx>
Emergency Preparedness and Response. “Smallpox Disease Overview” Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 2007. Atlanta GA 17 May 2012. <http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/overview/disease-facts.asp>
O’Shea, Tim. The Sanctity of Human Blood. North Woods. San Jose, CA. 2003
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