2015-03-10

[public] 448K views, 7.30K likes, dislikes audio only

TED-Ed

Find out how smallpox became the first (and only) disease to be permanently eradicated through the use of vaccination and isolation to prevent transmission.

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For most of human history, we have sought to treat and cure diseases. But only in recent decades did it become possible to ensure that a particular disease never threatens humanity again. Julie Garon and Walter A. Orenstein detail how the story of smallpox – the first and only disease to be permanently eliminated – shows how disease eradication can happen, and why it is so difficult to achieve.

Lesson by Julie Garon and Walter A. Orenstein, animation by TOGETHER.

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View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/learning-from-smallpox-how-to-eradicate-a-disease-julie-garon-and-walter-a-orenstein