A Study of the History of Smallpox Vaccination in India

The smallpox was extremely contagious and had no treatment. As early as 1325 BCE, cases of it were discovered through the research of Egyptian mummies. Variola, or "la variole," is another name for the smallpox. In earlier times, variolation was a common practice in Asia and several regions of Africa. This involved giving healthy individuals small amounts of material from smallpox lesions, which led to milder symptoms and a far lower mortality rate than a natural infection. According to certain reports, variolation practices date back to 200 BCE. Similar procedures were used in India by inoculation, where healthy children's skin was exposed to smallpox pustule material via a lancet or needle. According to accounts from the 18th century, this method has been used for many centuries. Smallpox is a dangerous viral disease, and from the 1800s through the mid-1900s, vaccination campaigns were conducted to prevent it. It used to have a major impact on India's health, but it has since been removed entirely. The National Smallpox Eradication Programme (NSEP) in India was established in 1962 with the primary goal of successfully eliminating smallpox from India within a short period of time. The NSEP effort successfully eradicated smallpox from India by the end of the 1970s. In this article discussed the smallpox and the importance of vaccination, the history of smallpox vaccination, how it was introduced to the people of India, and how it completely eradicated. Key Words: Smallpox Eradication, Vaccination, National Smallpox Eradication Programme, Edward Jenner, Cow pox.