<p>Eighteen million people were vaccinated against smallpox in the former communist Yugoslavia in only a month and a half in 1972. The mass vaccination campaign succeeded in containing the last smallpox epidemic in Europe. Dr Ana Gligic was a virologist who detected the first cases of the disease and helped tackle the outbreak.
PHOTO: A smallpox patient ... Show More
Oct 30
George Michael's Outside: The story behind the video
In 1998, after his arrest in a public toilet in Beverly Hills, USA, made headlines around the world, international pop star George Michael chose not to hide from the controversy. Instead, he turned it into Outside - a hit single and music video that playfully embraced the scandal ... Show More
10m 42s
May 2025
Lab Leak: Could Smallpox Come Back?
In 1978 the world is on the brink of declaring victory over smallpox. No cases have been seen for months, and it looks like the end for a deadly, painful disease. When a photographer in Birmingham begins to feel ill, doctors are mystified: it looks like smallpox, but how could sh ... Show More
37m 53s
Aug 2023
'Speedboat Epidemiology': Eradicating Disease One Person At A Time
Smallpox is a deadly virus. At one point, it killed almost 1 in 3 people who had it. Almost 300 million of those deaths were in the 20th century alone. It was extremely painful, highly contagious and many people thought it would be impossible to wipe out—until it was. On May 8, 1 ... Show More
12m 28s
May 2020
To Fight a Virus, and Win
May 14, 1796. Edward Jenner puts a theory to the test: can contracting one disease save you from another? Jenner goes down in history as the man who brought us one of the greatest advances in modern medicine: the vaccine. Its discovery led to the eradication of smallpox, a virus ... Show More
26m 43s