Question

Which of the following is true about the origins of vaccination?

a. The first vaccine was created against smallpox.
b. The first vaccine was created using the vaccinia virus.
c. The first vaccine was created against variola.
d. A & B
e. A, B & C

Answer 1

The correct answer is e. A, B & C. Edward Jenner is credited with creating the first vaccine using matter from cowpox to protect against smallpox. This revolutionary method, termed vaccination, was safer than the previous practice of variolation and has become the foundation for contemporary vaccinations.

Step-by-step explanation:

The answer to the question regarding the origins of vaccination is: e. A, B & C. The first vaccine was created against smallpox (variola), and it was developed by Edward Jenner using matter from the vaccinia virus, which is related to but less virulent than the smallpox virus.

Variolation, a precursor to vaccination, was practiced in China as early as the 10th century. It involved inoculating individuals with material from smallpox lesions, which carried a risk of causing the disease. Edward Jenner, in 1796, revolutionized this approach by showing that cowpox could confer immunity against smallpox, a related but far more dangerous disease, in a method that became known as vaccination.

Jenner's method used infectious material from cowpox lesions and proved to be a much safer alternative to variolation. This breakthrough laid the foundation for modern vaccination programs which massively reduced the morbidity and mortality associated with various infectious diseases.