No abstract available.
History, Modern 1601- ; Korea ; Smallpox ; Vaccination

In the beginning of the colonial era, the Joseon Government-General's most important medical policy was related to the disease of smallpox. The Government-General reused some of policies established by the Great Han Empire. They also made an effort to improve the shortcomings in that anti-smallpox policy by phasing out technically insufficient vaccinators and by incubating female vaccinators. However, compulsory vaccination was the major component of the Government-General's anti-smallpox policy. The vaccination effort was lead by police officers and the frequency of vaccinations was increased two-fold. When the anti-smallpox policy became effective in 1910, the incidence of smallpox decreased. However, after 1919, the incidence of smallpox began to increase once more. According to the Government-General, this increase was the result of a decrease in the frequency of vaccinations. Therefore, in 1923, the Government-General increased the frequency of vaccinations from twice to three times by implementing the Joseon Cowpox Ordinance. Under this policy adults were also vaccinated. Interventions by local organizations were also expanded. However, through the end of the colonial era, smallpox never fully disappeared in Joseon. The lower-than-expected rate of vaccination has been identified as one of important reasons for the constant presence of this pathogenesis. Incomplete census registration was identified as the major reason for the decrease in the vaccination rate. Insufficient technologies for disseminating the smallpox vaccine and ambiguity with regard to the vaccine's effectiveness also prevented the people of Joseon from voluntarily obtaining their vaccinations. To increase the rate of vaccination, it was necessary to secure the cooperation of Koreans. However, that cooperation has never been harmonious. No records exist of any discussions related to the problem of smallpox or the effect of the anti-smallpox vaccination, which was a reasonable expectation for the citizens of Joseon. Moreover, the Government-General kept insisting that the Joseon citizens' ideas about the need for sanitary and effective vaccinations were insufficient. The sought-after cooperation was never easy, and this resulted in the extensive duration of outbreaks of smallpox.
Adult ; Censuses ; Cowpox ; Disease Outbreaks ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Police ; Smallpox ; Smallpox Vaccine ; Vaccination

With the expansion of mpox virus infection from endemic to a global epidemic in 2022, the WHO declared that the mpox event constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Due to the high degree of gene sequence similarity among orthopox viruses and cross-reactive antibodies induced by orthoviruses, smallpox vaccination may affect the immune response induced by mpox virus infection. The analysis of the protective effects of smallpox vaccination against mpox virus infection will help define the focus of prevention and control. In this review, we clarify the protection of the smallpox vaccine against mpox virus infection by analyzing the correlation between smallpox vaccination, immune response status, and clinical data and providing evidence for the prevention, control, and strategies of mpox epidemics.
Humans ; Smallpox/epidemiology* ; Monkeypox/drug therapy* ; Smallpox Vaccine/therapeutic use* ; Vaccination ; Immunity

Ocular vaccinia usually is seen as a disease of the lids but primary involvement of other portions of the eye, such as conjunctiva and cornea, is uncommon. The disease can result from autoinoculation and contamination after contact with the vaccination vesicle. Ocular vaccinia is most likely to occur in patients who have not had previous successful vaccinations and in those previously vaccinated who do not have adequate antibody levels against vacclIua. The case reported in the following was a 2 year old girl who noted ocular vaccinia in her right upper and lower eyelids in 5 days after smallpox vaccination.
Child, Preschool ; Conjunctiva ; Cornea ; Eyelids ; Female ; Humans ; Smallpox ; Vaccination ; Vaccinia*

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to estimate the medical surge capacity required for mass prophylaxis based on a hypothetical outbreak of smallpox.METHODS: We performed a simulation using the Bioterrorism and Epidemic Outbreak Response Model and varied some important parameters, such as the number of core medical personnel and the number of dispensing clinics.RESULTS: Gaps were identified in the medical surge capacity of the Korean government, especially in the number of medical personnel who could respond to the need for mass prophylaxis against smallpox.CONCLUSIONS: The Korean government will need to train 1,000 or more medical personnel for such an event, and will need to prepare many more dispensing centers than are currently available.
Bioterrorism ; Korea ; Smallpox ; Surge Capacity ; Vaccination ; Variola virus

The recent cases of anthrax due to bioterrorism in the United States have reminded us that our society is also vulnerable to biological attacks. Illnesses due to bioterrorism are not naturally occurring diseases, and therefore may show presentations not familiar to many doctors. The last case of smallpox was reported in 1960, and doctors aged less than 60 years have no experience of smallpox. Anthrax is a rare zoonosis, and no case of inhalation anthrax has been reported in Korea. American doctors might be on high alert to bioterrorism after September 11, 2001. However, it took more than 2 weeks from the symptom onset of the index case to the recognition that anthrax outbreak had occurred due to bioterrorism. This delay shows how difficult it is to recognize bioterrorism. This article describes clinical recognition and management of patients exposed to biological warfare agents, especially agents causing anthrax, smallpox, plague, and botulism.
Anthrax ; Biological Warfare Agents* ; Biological Warfare* ; Bioterrorism ; Botulism* ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Korea ; Plague* ; Smallpox ; United States

The vaccines has been developed over the first two hundred years since Jenner's smallpox vaccination. In modern days, vaccination has had the largest impact on the incidence and persistence of infections. Although natural infection induces lifelong immunity, the assumption that the vaccine also confers permanent protection has been reconsidered following outbreaks of measles in students who had been vaccinated 15-20 years prior to infection in the US in the 1980s. Clinical studies have proposed several mechanisms such as vaccine failure in some individuals and the subsequent loss of immunity after vaccination. An ideal vaccine is relatively easy to define, but few real vaccines approach the ideal. Many difficulties account for the failure in producing these ideal vaccines. However, recent advances in methods for studying immune response to pathogens have provided a better understanding of immune mechanisms. Based on these findings, the development of good vaccine formulations allowing stimulation of optimal and prolonged protective immunity and immunization policies or schedules should lead to the introduction of vaccines for previously resistant organisms.
Appointments and Schedules ; Disease Outbreaks ; Humans ; Immunization ; Incidence ; Measles ; Smallpox ; Vaccination ; Vaccines

Since bioterrorism has become reality after its occurrence in USA, our goverment is preparing and conducting strategic plans for preparedness and response to bioterrorism. The major plans consist of reinforcement of surveillance of notifiable communicable diseases, construction of supplementary surveillance systems, organization of emergency department and infection specialists networks, strengthening of laboratory capacity and network, and establishment of a stepwise response plan according to risk assessment. For the preparedness for bioterrorism, we are preparing a national pharamaceutical stockpile (antibiotics, smallpox vaccine, etc) and strengthening the organization, law, epidemiologic capacity, research, and management of critical infectious agents. It is very difficult to predict the risk of bioterrorism, which may be very low. Nevertheless, the complete preparedness is necessary to prevent social confusion by bioterrorism. Especially, phisician's role in response to bioterrorism such as case detection, report, management, and treatment is very important.
Bioterrorism* ; Communicable Diseases ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Jurisprudence ; Risk Assessment ; Smallpox Vaccine ; Specialization

The first record of small pox epidemics in Korea claims that the malignant pestilence came from China around the 4th-5th century. Records have been found indicating that this pestilence attacked Korea every few years and that the havoc it caused was beyond description. China was the first country in the orient to use Jenner's vaccine, 10 years after its invention in 1796. The effect of the vaccine had been widely recognized and it was introduced to Korea through Japan. Mr. Sok-Yong Chi, an educator who was much interested in modern medical science, with the cooperation of the public, introduced wide usage of the vaccine in December 1879. Through continued effort with vaccination by 1959 this pestilence had completely disappeared from this country. Before the introduction of vaccinations, the variolation method, which came from China was also practiced here. Its effect was not recognized by the public and the method did not became popular. In addition, a few other methods to prevent this pestilence were introduced. Methods such as inhalation of pox-liquid and insertion of scar-pills(a chinese style of intranasal inoculation) were also practiced. However, in Korea the Turkish style of cross facial skin inoculation which was introduced by Lady Mary Worthey Montage does not seem to have been practiced here. Before the practices of vaccination and variolation were introduced small pox epidemics were considered to be the "coaxing of the pox-devil". People tried to fight against small pox epidemics by setting up wooden guardian poles as a nears of divine protection at bridges at the foot of Mt. Ami. The recent edition of the Korean comprehensive bibliography of place names shows about 90 locations for Mt. Ami which suggests there were a lot of attacks of small pox epidemics all over the country in the past.
English Abstract ; History of Medicine, Modern ; Human ; Immunization/*history ; Korea ; Smallpox/*history ; Vaccination/*history

Generally it has been thought that the modern western medicine was introduced into Korea by Japanese physicians and Western missionaries. But some recent studies have revealed that in the late Choson period, Koreans and Korean government played the essential roles in the introduction of it. This paper summarized and discussed the self-reliant activities of Koreans at the time, mainly in introducing the smallpox vaccination method and establishing Jejoong-Won Hospital, the first modern hospital in Korea.
English Abstract ; History of Medicine, 19th Cent. ; Hospitals/*history ; Korea ; *Medicine ; Smallpox/*history ; Vaccination/*history ; Western World