Bicentennial of vaccine pioneer Edward Jenner
I am looking forward to meeting with local public health officials who play such an important role in facilitating vaccination programmes across the county, as well as supporting the health and wellbeing of the community in many other ways.
Prof. Chris Witty
Chief Medical Officer for England
Later today, public health staff across the country will be remembering the outstanding contribution made to public health by Edward Jenner, as they mark the 200th anniversary of his death.
Edward Jenner, who died on 26 January 1823, was a Gloucestershire-born physician who carried out the world’s first ever vaccination – against smallpox. Jenner, declared himself the ‘Vaccine Clerk to the World’, and dedicated much of his career to improving the understanding and efficacy of the technique.
Since then, vaccines have been developed for more than 20 life threatening diseases, saving between 3.5 and 5 million lives every year throughout the world, with the UK still leading the way in their development.
Throughout the UK, public health teams, led by Directors of Public Health (DsPH) help to coordinate the delivery of vaccines, including childhood immunisations, seasonal flu and Covid-19 programmes, to thousands of children and adults each year. They also provide public oversight and assurance for vaccine delivery and safety.
Prof. Jim McManus, President of The Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) explained:
“DsPH have a unique perspective and knowledge of their local populations and as a result, are able to identify populations where vaccine take up is low. We then work with local community groups and others to help communicate the safety and efficacy of vaccines, answer questions, dispel myths and encourage people to come forward for vaccination. Thanks to this targeted, local approach we help ensure vaccines not only to protect individuals, but the community as a whole against a wide range of diseases.”
Siobhan Farmer, DPH for Gloucestershire, will be attending a series of special events being held at Gloucester Cathedral to mark the anniversary, including a talk by Prof. Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for England, on the wide impact vaccines have had on global health.
“Community wellbeing and prevention is at the heart of my DPH role, and I’m thrilled to welcome Sir Chris Whitty back to Gloucestershire to showcase the work we do as well as celebrate this milestone in medical history. Vaccines have been essential to moving towards living with Covid-19 in recent years, and continue to prevent serious illnesses and protect communities around the globe,” said Ms Farmer.
Prof. Chris Whitty commented:
“I am delighted to be coming to Gloucester to celebrate the significant contribution Jenner made to public health. I am looking forward to meeting with local public health officials who play such an important role in facilitating vaccination programmes across the county, as well as supporting the health and wellbeing of the community in many other ways.”
Kevin Fenton, President of The Faculty of Public Health, added:
“Edward Jenner’s work changed the course of human history, and today’s vaccinations programmes are one of our most important tools in protecting and improving health for populations across the UK and globally.
“Effective delivery of these programmes requires system-wide collaboration, from development to manufacturing to distribution, and public health teams play a critical role in strategically assessing need, supporting uptake within our communities, and monitoring impact. These teams also identify emerging diseases and outbreaks, ensuring that we are prepared to respond to new threats to health.”