From smallpox to COVID: Vaccines that changed history.

"The immune system is the body's defensive mechanism against bacterial and viral diseases. It recognizes unique characteristics of a disease called antigens, producing antibodies to target the infectious agent."

"Vaccines help train the immune system to effectively react to an infection, thus lessening the severity of the disease. These new protections against lethal diseases greatly reduced child mortality rates."

"The first known attempts at vaccination emerged from China, probably developed by a Buddhist monk around 1000 CE, and involved early procedures like variolation."

Vaccination, derived from the Latin word 'vacca', revolutionized public health by protecting against infectious diseases. Pioneers like Edward Jenner and Louis Pasteur developed vaccines that trained the immune system to recognize and combat infections. This led to reduced child mortality rates and increased life expectancy. Early vaccination attempts, such as variolation, date back to ancient China and involved using smallpox scabs to confer immunity. These advancements ultimately contributed to the eradication of smallpox, a disease that once claimed a significant percentage of those infected.

Read at World History Encyclopedia