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Previous Volume 344:375-379 February 1, 2001 Number 5 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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One hundred years ago, Boston had its last epidemic of smallpox. We describe this final epidemic, the controversy over compulsory vaccination, and ethical issues that remain relevant today.

Epidemiology and Protection through Vaccination

In May 1901, an outbreak of smallpox, initially unrecognized, was followed by a series of outbreaks in various neighborhoods of Boston.¹ From 1901 to 1903, there were 1596 cases of smallpox (Figure 1), with 270 deaths,^1,2,3 in a city with a population of approximately 560,900. The attack rate was 3 cases per 1000 persons, with a case fatality rate of 17 percent.

View larger version (18K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Figure 1. Distribution of Smallpox Cases in Boston during the . . . [Full Text of this Article]

 
Efforts to Control the Epidemic

Opponents of Compulsory Vaccination

The Pfeiffer Affair

Epilogue

Source Information

National Cancer Institute
Bethesda, MD 20892-1908
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, MA 02114
Fogarty International Center
Bethesda, MD 20892-2220

Address reprint requests to Dr. Breman at the Division of International Training and Research, Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bldg. 31, Rm. B2C39, 31 Center Dr., MSC 2220, Bethesda, MD 20892-2220, or at jbreman@nih.gov.

References

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