Vaccination in Mexico's History

The origins of vaccination in Mexico occurred in the early nineteenth century, when large expeditions were made in order to carry out research that yielded results similar to those obtained by the English doctor Edwar Jenner to face the epidemics that plagued the territory, such as smallpox. The research was documented in this form called "Origin of the vaccine and means of finding it in the kingdom of New Spain", which is based on the aforementioned work of Jenner, who in 1796 proposed the control of smallpox by injecting a child with the blood of a woman infected with bovine smallpox. By 1804 a cow was located in Atlixco and another in Valladolid de Michoacán with the same characteristics that referred to having bovine smallpox, being taken to the district of Tlalnepantla for study and information of results. 

From the expeditions carried out by Francisco Xavier de Balmis from which he derived the implementation of the technique of vaccination arm by arm against smallpox, which consisted of taking the flow of smallpox from an infected person with a sharp object and injuring another individual between the shoulder and the elbow until blood came out , this method was disseminated throughout the region of New Spain through the document entitled: "Primer of vaccinating, with a prologue to the disappointment of the public", which circulated among the population to combat the disinformation that circulated in the jurisdiction of Puebla.

Before the establishment of the training to prepare the vaccine and the organization of vaccination councils in Puebla, the medical manager in the city of Puebla los Angeles and member of the Central Vaccination Board of that city externó in the form the observations that should be carried out for the inoculation process.

The new novohispanas authorities such as the governor and captain general Félix María Calleja continued to instruct that the vaccine was the only viable protection against epidemics, so they continued with the tasks of supplying and raising awareness of the healing properties of introducing an immunizing fluid.

The work carried out by Francisco Xavier de Balmis to introduce the method of vaccination to the novohispano territory was of such high importance that the viceroy Francisco Xavier Venegas gave the order that the expenses of the expeditions and experiments related to vaccination be covered by the bishops and their cabildos, by means of a privileged alms.

Coordination between state authorities has always been indispensable: Communications between the authorities of the different states for the installation and application of the smallpox vaccine were fundamental for the arrest of the epidemic and the application of sanitary measures, a very important aspect that the Zacatecan government took with its counterparts to counteract the existing epidemics.

Efforts to extend vaccination in municipalities remained constant and with episodes of importance, as occurred in Tultepec in 1858 when a smallpox alert led the mayor of the region to resort to the arm-to-arm method, in order to obtain pus without alteration, with the vaccination of some robust and healthy children. Once the results were obtained, samples would be taken for the other inhabitants of the municipality.

The distribution of illustrated instructions on how to apply the vaccine and information about the epidemic to be treated were distributed in some states such as Oaxaca, this as another means of assistance to the spread of vaccination.

As part of the statistics on the subject, the number of minors who were vaccinated in each locality was recorded, as was the case in the district of Izúcar de Matamoros, in 1913, in the state of Puebla, where after receiving the supplies requested for the application of vaccination, the municipal president of this town would send to the health authorities the list of inoculations carried out.

By presidential decree, in 1926 vaccination against smallpox from cattle was made mandatory, with this began the mass campaigns for its application. The various identities of the country, such as the municipality of Ecatzingo de Hidalgo, in the state of Mexico begin to provide a certain number of vials for application.

As a preventive measure, in 1930, the then Secretary General  of the Government, asked the various municipalities to inform the school authorities not to register any child who did not present the certificate that he had been recently vaccinated.  

In some states, such as Quintana Roo, complementary measures were taken, such as spraying the coasts to eradicate malaria in 1959, this campaign was also assisted by the Secretary  of Health and Assistance, which would lead to the introduction of the Universal Vaccination Program in 1991, achieving goals such as the eradication of poliomyelitis, diphtheria, measles and neonatal tetanus, and the control of whorea cough and severe forms of tuberculosis.

In terms of vaccination, the vast history that Mexico has transformed it into a pioneering country in the production of vaccines at the local level and in the implementation of one of the most complete vaccination programs, although the coverage of the different vaccines continues to be insufficient, the latest surveys establish that the actions implemented by the National Vaccination Council have allowed an improvement in the rates of protection of individual and complete vaccinations.