The smallpox vaccine was invented by English physician Edward Jenner in 1796. Jenner is often referred to as the "father of immunology" for his groundbreaking work in developing the first successful smallpox vaccine.

Jenner's discovery was based on the observation that milkmaids who had contracted cowpox, a less severe disease closely related to smallpox, seemed to be immune to smallpox. Jenner hypothesized that exposure to cowpox could provide protection against smallpox and conducted an experiment in which he inoculated a young boy with cowpox and then exposed him to smallpox. The boy did not contract smallpox, confirming Jenner's theory.

Jenner's smallpox vaccine, made from the pus of cowpox blisters, was a major breakthrough in the fight against smallpox, which had been a devastating and deadly disease for centuries. The vaccine proved to be highly effective and eventually led to the global eradication of smallpox in 1980.

Today, the smallpox vaccine is no longer routinely administered, as smallpox has been eradicated. However, samples of the virus are still kept in laboratories for research purposes and as a precaution against the potential re-emergence of the disease.

Edward Jenner's pioneering work in developing the smallpox vaccine laid the foundation for modern immunology and vaccination practices. His legacy lives on in the continued efforts to combat infectious diseases through vaccination.

For more information on Edward Jenner and the smallpox vaccine, you can visit the World Health Organization's website at https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/smallpox or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website at https://www.cdc.gov/smallpox/index.html.

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