Were there efforts made in the 19th century to inoculate the natives against smallpox?
score:9
In 1803 the Balmis Expedition set sail from Spain to perform a vaccination campaign in Spanish America and China.
Its final report did claim that in its three years it vaccinated about 100,000 people. It did also provide translations of Jacques-Louis Moreau de la Sarthe's book Traité historique et pratique de la vaccine and helped establish local structures to keep ongoing vaccination programs.
While the wikipedia does not give details about vaccination to natives, several other sources (in Spanish) explain that the aim was universal; this one explains that
Las autoridades civiles y religiosas de los dominios españoles recibieron órdenes de prestar apoyo logístico y predisponer a la población indígena a la campaña de vacunación.
Translation:
Civil and religious authorities at the Spanish domains were ordered to supply logistic support and predispose the indigenous population towards the vaccination campaign.
The fact that the aim was that of universal vaccination is underscored by the fact that, after covering South America and Philippines, the expedition went on to continue vaccination in China (which had no sizeable Spanish population).
Additionally, given that at the time many indigenous populations were closely integrated in the Spanish colonies1, any disposition forbidding them to vaccinate would have been noticeable yet I cannot find any reference to them.
More information in English: https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/41/9/1285/278013
Another resource in English: Milton W. Taylor: "Viruses and Man: A History of Interactions", 2014
This one explicitly states that the Indians were to be vaccinated, yet I am a little skeptical about the quality of the source because it says that the goal was to bring the vaccine to the New World and the American Indian population, yet it is clear that the vaccination of the European population was part of the goal, too.
1Of course, that does not mean that they had the same social status than people with European ascendency.
Upvote:3
There was a big Smallpox epidemic in the Great Plains of the USA and Canada from 1836 to 1840. The American Fur Company, the federal government of the USA, and the Hudson's Bay Company made attempts to vaccinate many Indians against smallpox.
The were three major vaccination attempts to stop the spread of smallpox at the onset of the epidemic. The first by the American Fur Company was largely unsuccessful. Many traders tried to obtain vaccines but the AFC was unwilling to heed their requests.[7] The second was by the American government. Here efforts were made under the Indian Vaccination Act of 1832. Some areas did receive vaccines for smallpox, typically ones that were in contact with Americans, usually in the southern United States. Still the Office of Indian Affairs did not have the network or information needed to vaccinate the plains people quickly, nor did they try establish the needed network.[7] While the damage of the epidemic could have been reduced if preemptive measures had been take, the HBC still had the best response of the three actors. Rumours of the disease spreading prompted traders to act quickly as a reduction in the indigenous population meant a reduction in profit from the furs they brought in. A good information network, a supply of vaccines at posts, and a willingness among all for vaccination resulted in efforts being much more successful than those by their American counterparts.[6] Vaccination performed by HBC workers and trained Indigenous people were critical to limiting the spread of smallpox in Canada.[7] After the epidemic the HBC implemented a territory wide vaccination program which further reduced smallpox deaths. Unfortunately, as people entered communities with the intention of vaccinating against smallpox, they brought with them additional diseases that worked to keep mortality rates high.[3]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1837_Great_Plains_smallpox_epidemic1
Upvote:6
James O. Pattie reported in his 1831 narrative having in 1828 vaccinated 22,000 people, principally California natives at the Franciscan missions, against smallpox. He supposedly cut a deal with Governor Echeandía to release him from prison in exchange for performing the inoculations.
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