My Authors
Read all threads
(1/11) SAVE @drjennershouse, which is under threat due to the #COVID19 pandemic!

Edward Jenner was an 18thC pioneer of vaccination. Let me tell you about his importance in medical history👇

[Photo of two children - one vaccinated against smallpox, the other not from museum].
(2/11) Smallpox is one of the deadliest & most contagious diseases known to man. The virus killed over half a billion people in the twentieth century alone—three times the number of deaths from all of the century’s wars combined.
(3/11) On 8 May 1980, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the eradication of smallpox. This was an unprecedented event in history, signaling the first and only annihilation of a human disease.
(4/11) It has since been hailed the single greatest humanitarian achievement of all time. The victory—which saved tens of millions of lives—fulfilled the lifelong dream Edward Jenner, who first tested his vaccine on 14 May 1796.
(5/11) Jenner noticed that dairymaids who contracted cowpox never developed smallpox. Working from this, he developed a vaccine from cowpox. Indeed, the word “vaccination,” coined by Jenner in 1796, is derived from the Latin root vaccinus, meaning "of or from the cow.”
(6/11) The prominent Scottish physician Sir Walter Farquhar advised Jenner that if he kept the nature of the vaccine a secret, it could yield him a nest egg of as much as £100,000. But Jenner nurtured no such ambitions.
(7/11) In 1798, he had a hut built in his garden & christened it the TEMPLE OF VACCINIA. It not only became a beacon of hope for the poor who sought protection against smallpox, but it was also the site of the first public health service in Britain.
(8/11) Though he never left his own country, Jenner became celebrated as a savior the world over. In 1805, Napoleon made vaccination compulsory for his French armies and awarded a medal to Jenner in spite of the fact that his country was at war with Britain.
(9/11) Thomas Jefferson also sang Jenner's praises after he received a phial of the vaccine which allowed him to vaccinate eighteen members of his own family. In a letter to Jenner, the third president of the United States wrote: “mankind can never forget that you have lived.”
(10/11) Now, @drjennershouse and the Temple of Vaccinia are in danger of being shut due (ironically) to the current pandemic. This situation is critical. I believe the closure of this site would not only be a loss to Britain, but to the world.
(11/11) Edward Jenner saved countless lives. He symbolizes the power of science as an instrument of change for the better. If you can, please support @drjennershouse and share this thread: crowdfunder.co.uk/drjennershouse
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh.

Enjoying this thread?

Keep Current with Lindsey Fitzharris

Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

Twitter may remove this content at anytime, convert it as a PDF, save and print for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video

1) Follow Thread Reader App on Twitter so you can easily mention us!

2) Go to a Twitter thread (series of Tweets by the same owner) and mention us with a keyword "unroll" @threadreaderapp unroll

You can practice here first or read more on our help page!

Follow Us on Twitter!

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3.00/month or $30.00/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!