Smallpox Virus
Thanks to the success of vaccination, the last natural outbreak of smallpox in the United States occurred in 1949. In 1980, the World Health Assembly declared smallpox eradicated (eliminated), and no cases of naturally occurring smallpox have happened since.
When did smallpox start and end?
After a final outbreak in the United States in 1949, the virus was declared eradicated in 1980 following a successful vaccination program regarded as one of the greatest triumphs of modern medicine. Smallpox is an acute contagious disease caused by the variola virus.
When did smallpox stop being vaccinated?
Routine smallpox vaccination among the American public stopped in 1972 after the disease was eradicated in the United States.
