Edward Jenner: Figures from GCSE History

Edward Jenner Facts

Summary: Born on 17th May 1759 in Gloucestershire, Edward Jenner was a doctor and scientist who is most associated with the development of the smallpox vaccine.
Born: 17th May 1759
Died: 26th January 1823
Books: An Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of Variolae Vaccinae
Biggest achievements: Jenner is best known for the development of the smallpox vaccine and is known as the “father of immunology”. The smallpox vaccination programme was so successful that the World Health Organisation declared smallpox eradicated in 1980.

Edward Jenner's early life

Edward Jenner was born on 17th May 1759 in Berkeley, Gloucestershire. Jenner was the son of a vicar, the Reverend Stephen Jenner. Unfortunately, his father died when Jenner was five years old. His older brother, also a clergyman, raised Jenner. This gave Jenner a strong education and religious grounding.

As a child, Jenner was inoculated for smallpox. At that time, smallpox was incredibly dangerous and certain outbreaks of the disease caused thousands to die. The inoculation process stuck with Jenner throughout his life. 

Edward Jenner's education and early career

Jenner’s education began in grammar school – a privilege for the wealthier in the 18th century. At the age of 13, a local surgeon offered Jenner an apprenticeship. This is where his passion for medicine developed. Jenner went to London when he turned 21. He became a pupil of John Hunter at St George’s Hospital. Hunter was a well-respected surgeon and experimentalist in issues of anatomy and disease. This stemmed from a lifelong friendship between Hunter and Jenner,

In 1772, Jenner returned to Berkeley as a family doctor. He gained a respectable reputation for his patient care and treatment. After 20 years of practice, Jenner achieved an MD from the University of St Andrews in Scotland.  

What did Edward Jenner discover?

In 1796, over 3,500 people died from an outbreak of smallpox. Jenner was determined to discover a better method to prevent the disease. Jenner treated many patients for cowpox, a minor skin disease caught from close contact with cows. He noticed that many milkmaids caught cowpox but not smallpox. In May, Jenner spoke to a young dairymaid called Sarah Nelmes, who had caught cowpox. He persuaded her to participate in an experiment. Jenner extracted pus from Sarah’s cowpox scab and, on 14th May, Jenner infected a local boy named James Phipps. Phipps caught cowpox and recovered after 10 days. On 1st July, Jenner gave James smallpox. James did not develop smallpox, showing that cowpox had given James immunity to smallpox. 

Jenner, excited by his discovery, presented his findings to the Royal Society in 1797. His experiment shocked the Society. His ideas were seen as too experimental. The scientists noted that one successful case did not provide enough evidence that vaccination worked. Over the next year, Jenner added more cases to his study, including his son. He compiled these into a book entitled An Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of Variolae Vaccinae.

What was the impact of Edward Jenner's work?

Jenner’s work was met with a lot of scepticism in Britain. Initially, Jenner wanted to extend his trial further. He travelled to London in the hope of persuading more people to volunteer for the smallpox vaccine. Jenner stayed for three months without much success. Multiple groups opposed vaccinations. Inoculators were threatened by a loss of income and the Church believed vaccination was against God’s will. Others were concerned that the smallpox vaccine was derived from an animal disease. In 1802, James Gillray drew a cartoon called The Cow-Pock—or—the Wonderful Effects of the New Inoculation! The cartoon shows cows growing out of vaccinated patients. It was produced for the Anti-Vaccine Society, which highlights the amount of criticism Jenner faced.

The smallpox vaccine was more popular in Europe and America. King Charles IV of Spain ordered his physician to export smallpox vaccines across the Spanish Empire in 1803, which increased the impact of Jenner’s discovery. Millions of people were vaccinated against smallpox across the world within the first twenty years of Jenner’s vaccine. 

Jenner devoted the rest of his professional life to encouraging vaccination. He contacted other physicians, encouraging them to use the vaccine on their patients. He believed the public’s opinion about vaccination would change if a medical professional they trusted advocated for the procedure. Jenner’s commitment to the smallpox vaccine negatively impacted his personal and professional life. Parliament voted to give Jenner £10,000 in 1802 and £20,000 in 1806 so Jenner could avoid declaring bankruptcy. By 1840, the British government had made inoculation illegal and provided smallpox vaccination for free. These actions showed that Jenner had the British government's support for his contribution to the nation's health.

The death of Jenner’s wife to tuberculosis in 1815 prompted Jenner to withdraw from the smallpox campaign. Jenner pursued other ventures. He was chosen to be King George IV’s personal physician. He was also elected to be Mayor of Berkeley.

In modern times, Jenner is considered to be “The Father of Immunology”. His vaccination programme was so successful that smallpox was declared eradicated by 1980. Jenner’s method of vaccination was not replicable for other diseases. However, the success of the smallpox vaccine inspired scientists like Pasteur and Koch to develop new ways to produce vaccines. This has resulted in several dangerous illnesses like polio becoming extinct.

When did Edward Jenner die?

Jenner died on 26th January 1823 in Berkeley, aged 73. He had experienced a stroke the day prior, paralysing the right side of his body. A second stroke resulted in death. Jenner was buried at the Church of St Mary’s in Berkeley within his family vault.