Page 71 - Vaccines

Postscript

n the context of a conference concerning Covid-
19, organised by the Holy See in May, 2021,
I reference has been made to the well-known
inoculation of people against smallpox, particularly to
the more secure vaccination developed by Edward
Jenner at the end of the 18 th century. It is known further
that systematic vaccination in the 20 th century has led
to the effective eradication of this highly infectious and
lethal disease.
The evident benefits of effective vaccination both to
individuals and to society at large, concern for just
distribution and for the common good, rightly noted in
regard to the present pandemic, have been emphasised
also in the case of the vaccination against smallpox
ordered in the Papal States in times of epidemic both by
Pius VII in 1820 and by Pius IX in 1848.1
The importance of vaccination in such circumstances
is clear. However, there are some real differences in the
situation then and the present pandemic. Inoculation
against smallpox had been known since the early 18ᵗʰ
century, Jenner’s innovations had made it much safer
and effective, while there remain some significant
problems about serious adverse events as well as the
degree and duration of effective protection offered by
the various vaccines currently being administered
against the coronavirus. Furthermore, the smallpox
vaccination, both in its original (cf. Lady Montagu)2 and
1 Cf. A. Tornielli, “Vaccini per tutti, vaccini per i poveri”,
L'Osservatore Romano, 7 maggio, 2021. See also C. Casalone,
“Vaccines: Making responsible decisions” in La Civiltà Cattolica,
8ᵗʰ March, 2021.
2 See p. 11 above.