Throughout history of mankind,
has had many defining moments that have catalyzed our
evolution and trajectory of our species. Weather be the discovery
of fire, invention of the light bulb, or the first
telephone. These very key moments have enabled us to change how
we live our daily lives.
We will take a journey back in time and look
at one of the most catastrophic diseases known to man.
A speckled monster with the long history of painful
death and a rapid spread. A disease that goes by the
name: SMALLPOX.
Today,
we will look at the evolution of modern medicine and
one of the greatest achievement:
the eradication of the smallpox virus.
In the 20th century alone smallpox has claimed over 300
million lives with life-changing symptoms,
that would cause people to have extreme scarring and blistering,
altering their physical appearance for the rest of your lives.
This disease would remove an individual's ability to breathe on
their own.
So how can I disease that's been with Humanity for
12,000
years suddenly vanished by 1976.
It was in the year 1796 that the work of
British position,
Edward Jenner,
laid,
the foundation for this great milestone.
He observed that women who milk cows did not seem
to contract smallpox.
He then discovered that those same women were exposed to
another virus called cowpox,
which was similar to smallpox of far less severe.
He connected the dots and conducted a very bold experiment.
He expose a child to cowpox.
And once the child recovered,
he expose a child to the very deadly smallpox virus.
It was this very moment that medicine would take one
giant leap forward.
The child did not contract smallpox.
But the grand question is,
why?
The same mechanism that protected that one child for smallpox
is the same mechanism by which vaccines have protected billion
around the world are immune system have killer cells and
memory cells,
killer cells.
Figure out how to kill a new pathogens while members.
Don't remember how it was done.
Figuring out,
how pathogen affects the body can take time,
which is why it's symptoms appear,
vaccines.
However,
memory cells.
How to quickly kill a pathogen before any symptoms appear
making the person immune to that specific pathogen and not
only do vaccines protect a person,
but they can completely wipe out a virus off the
face of the Earth and this leads us to herd
immunity.
Are viruses spread from person to person it requires that
number one,
individual has an immune system such that it is easily
affected by the virus and can be protected by it
and where no one is vaccinated.
For example of smallpox smallpox enters the population
of the virus and quickly spread throughout the entire community
community center has
been at the population of these individuals are vaccinated for
this individual.
So they are immune
to the virus.
Only with a virus.
People to spread or rather.
It would be localized have one or two individuals are
immunocompromised.
Such that they are the ones that are infected and
as a consequence of having individuals were all vaccinated to
such a fire.
Is this the cause of it was called her immunity?
This very concept of self.
We're currently going through a global pandemic from covid-19.
The importance of vaccination is stronger than ever before.
If we wish to live in a future where no
more innocent lives are taken by covid-19 the vaccine and
the concept of herd immunity is our only hope then
maybe just maybe we can experience another great medical miracle,
the eradication of covid-19.