Vaccine and smallpox vaccination in nineteenth century Bahia

Abstract

This article aims to discuss the perceptions and actions of public authorities regarding the process of introduction, production, conservation, distribution, and application of the smallpox vaccine; the emergence of institutions associated with the vaccine and vaccination; and its main obstacles in Bahia in the nineteenth century. The article emphasizes the local and regional dynamics of this process. It addresses the problem of smallpox in colonial Bahia, the arrival of the Jennerian vaccine, the diffusion of the vaccination method, the establishment of health institutions, and the disease control measures implemented as of 1808. In the context of the post-independence and Imperial Brazil, this article addresses smallpox outbreaks and discusses the problems related to vaccine and vaccination listed by the governors of the province of Bahia and local efforts to introduce the animal vaccine. This article is based on printed primary sources published in Bahia in the nineteenth century, as well as through dialogues with specialized literature.

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“…It is essential to consider that the strategy of making mandatory vaccinations can lead to opposing attitudes and more significant hesitation in those who already have an attitude against the vaccine [26]. Historical examples such as the Vaccine Revolt in Rio de Janeiro in 1904 during the smallpox epidemic show how the population can create revulsion against the vaccine due to its mandatory nature even in the face of a severe health crisis [27]. One option to be considered when the vaccine is available to everyone is implementing mandates as in some European countries that make it mandatory but preserve the personal decision not to vaccinate, offering the possibility of signing a disclaimer that informs the individual of the consequences of vaccine failure [24].…”

The Defense of Shangri-La: A Thought Experiment of Periodic Community-wide Screening in the Future Pandemic

“…Smallpox (Hochman and Souza, 2022), tuberculosis (Rajwani et al, 2022), monkeypox (Bunge et al, 2022), and the sudden emergence of COVID-19(Coronavirus Disease 2019) (Mohamadian et al, 2021) in 2019 all posed great threats to the economy and life of our society because of their significant mortality and infectivity.…”

“…In 1997, the book “Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fate of Human Society” introduced the influences of pathogens in the development of human beings, and clarified that the emergence of epidemics was closely related to the development of human agriculture, domestication of animals, and population density(Diamond, 1999). Smallpox(Hochman and Souza, 2022), tuberculosis(Rajwani et al, 2022), monkeypox(Bunge et al, 2022), and the sudden emergence of COVID-19(Coronavirus Disease 2019)(Mohamadian et al, 2021) in 2019 all posed great threats to the economy and life of our society because of their significant mortality and infectivity.…”