Final answer:
The section labeled 'Edward Jenner' likely shifts focus to his crucial role in developing vaccination against smallpox, based on his observation that milkmaids who got cowpox were immune to smallpox.
Step-by-step explanation:
The organization of the section labeled "Edward Jenner" in the context of smallpox and vaccination history, changes to focus on the pivotal contributions of Edward Jenner, the English physician credited with developing the modern process of vaccination. At the beginning of this section, the text likely transitions from discussing broader historical context or previous methods like variolation to detailing Jenner's specific observations and experiments. Jenner noted that milkmaids who suffered from cowpox did not contract smallpox. His subsequent experiments with cowpox on a young boy demonstrated immunity against smallpox and led to the practice of vaccination using cowpox viruses, a safer alternative to variolation.
Jenner's practice of inoculating with cowpox, stemming from his observation that milkmaids were immune to smallpox, led to the development of a methodology that was termed vaccination—a term derived from the Latin 'vacca' meaning 'cow.' This practice contributed to the eventual eradication of smallpox, as validated by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1980. Jenner's discovery represents a milestone in medical history and has had a lasting impact on public health and vaccination strategies around the world.