How was smallpox able to be eradicated?

Smallpox eradication was accomplished with a combination of focused surveillance—quickly identifying new smallpox cases—and ring vaccination. read more

When smallpox was officially certified as eradicated, in December 1979, an agreement was reached under which all remaining stocks of the virus would either be destroyed or passed to one of two secure laboratories – one in the United States and one in the Russian Federation. read more

Some localized areas and even some nations had gotten rid of smallpox entirely, but a plan for global eradication was slow to take hold. In 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) took over the health functions of the League of Nations, at a time when smallpox was still a threat in at least 90 countries. read more

Smallpox was a good candidate for eradication for several reasons. First, the disease is highly visible: smallpox patients develop a rash that is easily recognized. In addition, the time from exposure to the initial appearance of symptoms is fairly short, so that the disease usually can’t spread very far before it’s noticed. read more

World Health Organization declares smallpox eradicated 1980. Photo: Poster published by World Health Organization at Geneva, Switzerland, after declaration of eradiction of smallpox on earth, May 8, 1980. read more