Smallpox in the Punjab: The role of Indigenous Vaccinators, 1900-1928.

Abstract

Variola virus causes smallpox characterized by debilitating scarring, pustules, and deaths with a mortality rate of 30%. It has shaped the trajectory of kingdoms, cultures, and economies. It has ravaged mankind for 3000 years and was responsible for over 300million deaths globally in the 20th century. In 1980, smallpox became the only human disease eradicated through widespread vaccination. It is an innovative adaptation of the epic discovery of Dr. Edward Jenner’s cowpox vaccine in 1798. In most colonies, smallpox campaigns were marked by local resistance, negotiation before final acceptance. Thus, this historical research highlights the role of Indigenous vaccinators during smallpox campaigns and their engagement with local populations in early 20th-century Punjab. By deploying archival sources from Punjab Archives and Punjab Central Library, this piece discovered that some Indigenous vaccinators exhibited unprofessional conduct, which contributed to local resistance to vaccinations and shaped outcomes of smallpox vaccinations in early twentieth-century Punjab. This study highlights the intersection between vaccination procedures and vaccinators in the context of endemic and epidemic management. This research could help to assess and critique the contemporary vaccination procedures and processes to enhance efficient and effective disease management and prevention