Low VACCINATION Rates
In Muncie, Indiana, smallpox outbreak illustrated the effect of lower vaccination rates on the spread of disease. A local physician noted that vaccination there had been largely neglected since the last epidemic of smallpox in 1876. The initial cases appeared in a family in which only one member had been vaccinated. Physicians were unsure whether the disease was smallpox or chickenpox, and established a quarantine too late to control disease spread. Despite measures that included a near-quarantine of the city, fumigation of mail, cancellation of public gatherings, and compulsory vaccination, the epidemic spread from May 1893 until October. The careful collection of epidemic-related data shown in the images points to the emerging use of statistics to analyze disease spread. This tendency will grow through the 20th century.
"Vaccine Timeline." History of Vaccines. N.p., n.p. Web. 9 Mar. 2014. <http://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/timelines/ >.
"Vaccine Timeline." History of Vaccines. N.p., n.p. Web. 9 Mar. 2014. <http://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/timelines/ >.