Benjamin Waterhouse

Inspired by Edward Jenner: Waterhouse was influenced by Edward Jenner’s 1796 discovery that cowpox could protect against smallpox.

• Introduced Vaccine to U.S.: On July 8, 1800, he administered the first successful smallpox vaccinations in the United States in Boston, Massachusetts

• First Patients: He vaccinated his five-year-old son, Daniel Oliver Waterhouse, and a household servant, Samuel Carter, using cowpox material sent by Jenner or his supporters in England

• Harvard Professor: Waterhouse was a professor at Harvard Medical School, which gave him a platform to promote vaccination

• Scientific Method: He used a controlled experiment, exposing vaccinated individuals to smallpox later to prove the vaccine's effectiveness

• Advocacy: He became a vocal advocate for vaccination, publishing pamphlets and conducting public demonstrations to spread awareness

• Government Support: Waterhouse gained support from President Thomas Jefferson, who encouraged vaccination throughout the new American republic

• Faced Opposition: He encountered resistance from traditional physicians and the public, who were skeptical or misinformed about the safety of vaccination

• Legacy: Waterhouse’s efforts laid the foundation for public health vaccination campaigns in the United States and helped legitimize Jenner’s method in the New World