Vaccination in the 19th century in Italy and the role of Catholic Church in Public Health: A Historical Overview

Using the case of the vaccine against smallpox as an example, this article explores how the attitude and the politics of the Vatican State towards vaccinationchanged between the 18th and 19th century.Despite some notable exceptions, the Catholic Church became progressively involved in supporting vaccination in Italy,exerting its temporal and spiritual authority to develop healthcare policies and to convince a population that still considered the vaccine as potentially harmful.
Source: Journal of Preventive Medicine and Hygiene - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Source Type: research