Articles tagged as Vaccines | Smithsonian Magazine

A field hospital in Virginia, photographed in 1862, shows the grim conditions during the Civil War.

Fearing a Smallpox Epidemic, Civil War Troops Tried to Self-Vaccinate

People knew that inoculation could prevent you from catching smallpox. It was how Civil War soldiers did it that caused problems

May 1, 2017

Innovation for Good

Keeping Vaccines Safe in Tiny “Cages”

By encasing vaccines in silica, researchers could eliminate the need to refrigerate them during transportation

April 26, 2017

A baby in Ghana rests underneath a mosquito net. Ghana will become one of three African countries to pilot the new malaria vaccine in 2018.

The pilot program will focus on Kenya, Ghana and Malawi—countries at the center of the global malaria crisis

April 25, 2017

This 1976 photograph shows a woman receiving a vaccination during the nationwide swine flu vaccination campaign.

The Next Pandemic

The Long Shadow of the 1976 Swine Flu Vaccine ‘Fiasco’

Some, but not all, of the hesitance to embrace vaccines can be traced back to this event more than 40 years ago

February 6, 2017

President Franklin D. Roosevelt exits a car during a campaign stop in California. Roosevelt was the first U.S. president with a visible disability, caused by polio.

People Mailed Dimes ‘By The Truck Load’ to FDR’s White House to Cure Polio

He was America’s first and only president with a visible—and known—disability

January 3, 2017

Over the weekend, health officials began replacing the current polio vaccination in an effort to wipe out one of three strains of the virus

April 18, 2016

Anthony Fauci is America's point person in confronting epidemics.

Future Is Here Festival

Anthony Fauci Is Waging War Against Zika, and Preparing for Other Epidemics to Come

The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases talks about developing a Zika vaccine

April 18, 2016

The Tribeca Film Festival injected even more controversy into the anti-vaccine "debate" when it decided to show a film by the movement's most polarizing figure.

The controversy shows the film isn’t immune to unfounded fears about vaccination

March 25, 2016

Bottle of Diphtheria Anti-Toxin in Case, 1900s

The Next Pandemic

How Vaccines, a Collective Triumph of Modern Medicine, Conquered the World’s Diseases

Smithsonian curators present a virtual tour of several objects from the collections that revolutionized public health care

September 28, 2015

An illustration of the dengue virus, which is transmitted by mosquito bites.

A Single Protein Is the Root of Dengue’s Virulence

But researchers who found the culprit say it could be a clue in developing a vaccine for the mosquito-borne virus

September 9, 2015

An actor, playing the role of a vaccine against Ebola, performs at a school in Abidja, Ivory Coast, last September

New Research

Experimental Ebola Vaccine Gives 100 Percent Protection in Trial

An unusual trial design helped prove the vaccine safe and effective in less than a year

July 31, 2015

The vaccine isn’t as effective as hoped however, and needs several more approvals

July 25, 2015

A stained tissue sample from 1967 reveals the presence of Chlamydia psittaci bacteria.

New Research

The Mystery of the Failed Chlamydia Vaccine

In the 1960s, a vaccine for chlamydia made patients more susceptible to chlamydia. Now scientists know why

June 22, 2015

Health officials confirm that rubella no longer originates in North or South America

April 30, 2015

Blaming the anti-vaccination movement for an uptick in measles is oversimplification

January 29, 2015

The 2014-15 flu vaccine is here, but the CDC warns that it's not as effective as hoped.

A Universal Flu Vaccine May Be On the Horizon

Choosing the viral targets for the seasonal flu vaccine is a gamble. Sometimes, like this year, the flu wins

January 26, 2015

This portrait features Dr. Edward Jenner inoculating James Phipps, the first person to receive the smallpox vaccine.

Trending Today

The Art of Vaccinations

The Art of Saving a Life is connected to a fundraising effort for an international group working to eradicate disease through vaccinations

January 8, 2015

Doctors are refining a method to remove the "ouch" from injections.

A Needle Could Make For Pain-Free Flu Shots

Using temperature, vibration and pressure, this needle can trick a patient into feeling no pain

October 27, 2014

New Research

A Deadly Fungus Is Wiping Out Frogs and Toads—But Some Can Develop Resistance

Scientists hope it might be possible to develop a vaccine to the fungus, based on the frog and toad’s immunity

July 10, 2014

A chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) mother resting with her children in western Uganda.

New Research

Ebola Vaccine For Chimps Could Help Save Wild Populations

A trial of a chimp vaccine highlights debates over vaccinating wild populations and using chimps in medical research

May 27, 2014