Variolation vs. Vaccination

There is no cure for smallpox.
The only way to fight it is to prevent it.

 

Inoculation is the practice of introducing a small amount of viral matter into the body (usually through the skin) in order to prime the immune system to recognize and destroy that virus. It is a preventative measure, not a cure.

· Inoculations essentially make the body a tiny bit sick (usually locally), in order to guard against major future infections.

Chromolithograph after a painting by George Kirtland (c. 1802) The Wellcome Library, London Variolation on left, Vaccination on right