The first smallpox inoculation (variolation) was introduced to Europe from Tuscany in 1756, although the practice had already been used in Asia for centuries. Later, in 1796, Edward Jenner developed actual vaccination, which used the cowpox virus (vaccine pox) to induce immunity, making it safer. Before Jenner’s invention of the vaccine, the practice of inoculating smallpox pustule material to protect against more severe forms had developed in China, India, and the Middle East as early as the 10th century. The technique was introduced to Europe in the 18th century, thanks to figures such as Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. In Italy, the first region to practice variolation was Tuscany in 1756, followed by the Republic of Venice in 1767. Jenner’s invention of the vaccine was an innovative method: Edward Jenner, observing that milkmaids who contracted cowpox did not contract smallpox, developed the vaccination in 1796. It is an effective and safe vaccine: inoculation with cowpox creates a more reliable immunity than variolation, which could cause a more severe form of smallpox. The spread of the Jennerian vaccine in Italy occurred through doctors such as Luigi Sacco, who vaccinated himself and others in 1799, subsequently spreading the practice on a large scale.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The first smallpox inoculation (variolation) was introduced to Europe from Tuscany in 1756, although the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-619351","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-vg-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n