国立アメリカ歴史博物館さんのインスタグラム写真 - (国立アメリカ歴史博物館Instagram)「This small card tells the story of how 12 children helped a doubting public accept the smallpox vaccine in the early 1800s. The story has its roots in the 1790s, when Edward Jenner, a country doctor in Gloucester, England, began publishing the results of his successful experiments using inoculation with cowpox to provide protection from a more serious disease— smallpox. (Fun fact: Jenner's method was named "vaccination," as a reference to to the medical term for cowpox, "Variolae vaccinae," and the Latin "vacca," meaning cow). Jenner's cowpox vaccine eventually reached the U.S., but public acceptance of the new treatment didn't come easily. In 1809 the citizens of the town of Milton, Massachusetts, became part of the first municipal effort in the U.S. to offer free vaccination to all inhabitants. Over 300 people were inoculated during a 3-day campaign in July. Following this program, the town leaders took an unusual step—a public demonstration to prove that the cowpox vaccine offered protection from smallpox. On October 9, 1809, 12 children—selected from those vaccinated in July—were inoculated with fresh, virulent smallpox matter by Dr. Amos Holbrook and witnessed by 18 town members. The children were confined to a single home for 15 days before being discharged with no sign of smallpox infection. Each child received a personalized certificate pronouncing them a living testament to the "never failing power of the mild preventative the Cow Pox." Several other small certificates were produced to commemorate the demonstration, including the one above. The names of the 12 subjected to the vaccine test are inscribed on the back of the card—swipe to see them! Interested in how objects like this connect to the race to create vaccines today? Use the link in our bio to join us for a free virtual panel this afternoon (01/05, 4-5pm ET), focused on the race to develop and distribute COVID-19 vaccines—the latest in our Pandemic Perspectives series: s.si.edu/pandemic-perspectives #History #AmericanHistory #VaccineHistory」1月5日 22時38分