The Vaccine Rollout Will Schools Play a Role in the Process? by Tina Manzer
Giving vaccinations to children in school, aka “school-located vaccination” (SLV), has had a long and effective history. It begins in Massachusetts in 1827, when the first “no child left unvaccinated” act (against smallpox) became law for Boston schools. Smallpox was highly contagious; a devastating disease that killed, on average, three out of every 10 people who got it. The U.S. struggled to maintain and distribute a vaccine during most of the 19th century. In 1875, during a smallpox outbreak in New York City, the first recorded SLV occurred. American schoolchildren continued to receive routine smallpox vaccinations until 1972, when the disease was deemed eradicated in the U.S. In the 1950s, the polio vaccine was successfully distributed in schools across the country. Compared to the scar-inducing smallpox vaccine delivered by “jet injector,” the oral polio vaccine in individual sugar cubes was a delight. SLV was also used to combat rubella in 1969,
10 January 2021 — EducationalDealerMagazine.com
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