Thread by @EPIDEMICpodcast

1/ A 2001 @NEJM article discussed the 1901-1903 smallpox epidemic in Boston, efforts to control it via compulsory vaccination, & the corresponding vaccine controversy. bit.ly/3iveKVK

2/ This table from the article shows the distribution of smallpox cases in Boston throughout the epidemic, & how events such as forced vaccination of the homeless, house-to-house vaccination, & the defeat of anti-vaccination bills affected the case count.

Ensuring as many people as possible were vaccinated was crucial in Boston in the early 1900s––just as it is now. This cartoon illustrates doctors going from house-to-house to vaccinate people & depicts the different responses individuals had to these visits.

4/ On E64 of @EPIDEMICpodcast, Dr @celinegounder & guests @jonathanberman, Michael Willrich, & Nadja Durbach explore the origins of vaccine hesitancy in the United Kingdom in the 1800s. bit.ly/3kNJUZw

5/ “Every generation has generated its own anti-vaccinationism based on very similar concerns,” says @jonathanberman. Religious objections, worries about government overreach, & fear of childhood illness were all concerns both 200 years ago and today.

6/ To learn more about the eradication of smallpox, look out for Season 2 of @EPIDEMICpodcast: “Target Zero: The Race to Eradicate Smallpox.” This docuseries podcast will dive into how smallpox was wiped from the face of the earth.