Exhibition tells story of Spanish children used as vaccine fridges (storage) in 1803

[abqtommy]

From The Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/27/spanish-museum-celebrates-pioneer-who-took-smallpox-vaccine-to-colonies

When Francisco Javier de Balmis set off from Spain in 1803 to vaccinate the people in Spain’s colonies against smallpox he had no means of keeping the vaccine fresh, so he used children as his refrigerators (storage).

snip

Manuel Álvarez, who curated the exhibition, described it as “a homage to all the health workers who have struggled against Covid-19”.

Smallpox was killing millions in 18th century Europe but in 1796 the English physician Edward Jenner discovered that a bovine version of the disease worked as a vaccine.

Balmis, who was a military and court doctor, persuaded Spain’s King Carlos IV, whose daughter had died of smallpox, to fund the royal philanthropic vaccine expedition to Spain’s colonies.

more text and illustrations at link

Vaccines have a long history of effectiveness and anyone who thinks otherwise is a dangerous fool.

[abqtommy]

1. K&R

[Hekate]

2. Fascinating! I read about cowpox long ago, how it was evident that dairymaids who were infected

… with it (typically on their hands) were immune to smallpox.

In any case, yes yes yes we would never use orphan children the way Balmis did — but we have refrigerators now (except when they fail, right?) — and for something devised over 2 centuries ago, this was incredibly ingenious and effective.