The Transcultural Travel of Smallpox Immunisation Practices: From Variolation to Vaccination

• Miao Peng ^[1]
  1. [1] University of Shanghai for Science and Technology

     University of Shanghai for Science and Technology

     China

     
• Localización: Panace@: Revista de Medicina, Lenguaje y Traducción, ISSN-e 1537-1964, Vol. 24, Nº. 57, 2023, págs. 36-43
• Idioma: inglés
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo (pdf)
• Resumen

  • Before smallpox was eradicated in 1979, two different immunisation practices were used to fight the disease: variolation and vaccination. Variolation originated in China and reached Europe before the 19th century. It set the narrative for vaccination, establishing a vocabulary with which to refer to smallpox and smallpox immunisation and providing an explanation for successful immunity from the disease. Vaccination replaced the oriental practice in the 19th century, and its reception in China, facilitated by cognitive and social factors, led to changes in the Chinese discourse surrounding the disease and immunisation.