Final answer:
Jonas Salk developed the polio vaccine, while Edward Jenner is credited with creating the smallpox vaccine. False, Jonas Salk developed the first vaccine against polio, not smallpox. The smallpox vaccine was developed by Edward Jenner in the late 18th century.
Step-by-step explanation:
Edward Jenner observed that milkmaids who contracted cowpox were not subsequently infected by smallpox. Expanding on this observation, he developed a method of using cowpox material to initiate an immune response, a process he termed vaccination. On the other hand, Jonas Salk, in the mid-20th century, created the first successful polio vaccine. After significant testing, Salk's vaccine was rolled out in a nationwide campaign in the United States during the 1950s, drastically reducing the incidence of polio. Salk's willingness to forgo a patent for his vaccine ensured it could be freely used to combat polio around the world.
Vaccines for various diseases have been a critical aspect of public health, with historical records indicating that forms of inoculation, such as variolation, were used even before the concept of modern vaccination was introduced. Salk's work paved the way for other mass immunization campaigns that controlled and eradicated many infectious diseases.