The only human disease eradicated by vaccination — its global burden, the WHO eradication campaign (1967-1980), the role of ring vaccination, and lessons for future efforts.
Smallpox, caused by the Variola virus, was one of the most devastating diseases in human history. It is the only human disease to have been successfully eradicated through a deliberate global vaccination campaign.
The disease killed an estimated 300-500 million people in the 20th century alone. In 1980, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared smallpox eradicated — one of the greatest public health achievements in history.
The global eradication campaign began in 1967, led by the WHO, with Dr. Donald Henderson as chief strategist. The campaign relied primarily on surveillance-containment (ring vaccination) rather than mass vaccination.
Rather than vaccinating entire populations, ring vaccination focused on: