Smallpox vaccination becomes mandatory in England & Wales

Vaccination Act of 1853

• Passed: August 1, 1853

• What it mandated:

  • Compulsory smallpox vaccination for all infants born in England and Wales

  • Parents or guardians were required to have their child vaccinated within 3 months of birth

  • Vaccination was to be carried out free of charge by public vaccinators appointed by the Poor Law authorities

Enforcement Measures

• Non-compliance could result in fines or penalties

• Parents who failed to vaccinate their children could be summoned before a magistrate

• The law was enforced through local Poor Law Guardians, who kept vaccination registers and monitored compliance

Medical Context

• Smallpox was a highly contagious and deadly disease, causing widespread outbreaks in the 18th and 19th centuries

• The vaccine used was based on Edward Jenner’s discovery (1796) that cowpox could protect against smallpox

• By the 1850s, vaccination had become widely recognized as effective, though not without public skepticism and opposition

Public Reaction

• The 1853 Act faced significant resistance, especially from:

  • Those opposed to government intervention in personal health

  • Religious groups and early anti-vaccination activists, who questioned the safety and morality of vaccination

• This led to the growth of the anti-vaccination movement, which would influence future changes in the law

Aftermath and Later Laws

• The Vaccination Act of 1867 expanded the 1853 law, making enforcement stricter and extending vaccination requirements

• Due to ongoing opposition, a conscientious objection clause was eventually introduced in the Vaccination Act of 1898, allowing parents to opt out