Simon Schama’s “Foreign Bodies” tracks the history of vaccines
From smallpox to covid-19, a new book offers a fascinating story of vaccines’ spread
The first recorded vaccine—for smallpox—was administered by Edward Jenner, an English doctor, in 1796 to an eight-year-old boy, James Phipps. Jenner (pictured) took fluid from the lesions of a dairymaid who had become infected with cowpox and used it to inoculate Phipps against cowpox and smallpox.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “The long shot”
Culture September 9th 2023
- Thanks to Morgan Wallen, country music’s popularity has surged
- Simon Schama’s “Foreign Bodies” tracks the history of vaccines
- Lots of people mourn when famous writers and musicians die. Why?
- Zadie Smith’s new novel revives a 150-year-old court case
- A history of the papacy and its relationship with Rome
- Trevor Noah’s tour spotlights South African comedy
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