5–6 CLIL | History B1+

1 Work in pairs and discuss the questions.

1 You are going to read a text about the disease smallpox. What do you know about it?
What do you think were its symptoms?
2 Which of the following diseases doesn’t have a vaccine: malaria, measles, mumps, tuberculosis?

2 Read the text and check your answers in Exercise 1.

The history
of vaccination
In the 18th century, a serious and frightening
disease called smallpox was very common and
many people died from it. It was caused by a virus
and was extremely contagious during the first
weeks of the infection. Symptoms of the disease
included a fever, headache, backache, severe
fatigue, a rash and a very high temperature. If
people survived, they were left with awful scars
on their body. People at that time also suffered
from a milder disease called cowpox which they
caught from cows.
Edward Jenner was born in 1749. He was an English country doctor who had studied
nature and his natural surroundings since childhood. He had always been fascinated by
the traditional tale that milkmaids could not get smallpox. He believed that there was a
connection between the fact that milkmaids only got a weak version of smallpox – the
non-life-threatening cowpox – but did not get smallpox itself. A milkmaid who caught
cowpox got blisters on her hands and Jenner concluded that it must be the pus in the
blisters that somehow protected the milkmaids. Jenner was convinced that the cowpox
infection had protected these people in some way.
In 1796, Jenner decided to test out his theory. He did an experiment on a young boy called
James Phipps. He introduced the cowpox infection into a cut on the boy’s arm. Phipps
became ill with cowpox for a while and then recovered. Later, Jenner infected Phipps with
smallpox and waited. Phipps never caught smallpox because the cowpox had protected
him. This was the first example of vaccination, and indeed the word comes from the Latin
‘vacca’ which means cow. So successful was this discovery that the government banned any
treatment for smallpox other than Jenner’s.
Jenner’s discovery has made an enormous difference to the health of the world. Nowadays,
people are vaccinated against many illnesses, such as tuberculosis, measles and mumps.
After a worldwide vaccination programme by the World Health Organisation (WHO),
smallpox was finally eradicated in 1980. The WHO then recommended that all countries
stop vaccinating for smallpox.

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 5–6 CLIL | History B1+

3 Read the fact file and complete the text. 5 Work in pairs and discuss the questions.
1 Which diseases have been eradicated in your
country and which still occur?
2 Do you think scientists will ever find a cure for
Name: Edward Jenner all diseases?
Invented: First vaccination
Date: 1796 DID YOU KNOW?
Disease: Smallpox
Discovery: People who had cowpox didn’t get ❍ Jenner tried the experiment on other children,
smallpox including his own baby son.
Experiment: Infected James Phipps with cowpox, ❍ Jenner did not patent his discovery as it would have
and then smallpox made the vaccination more expensive and out of
Result: Phipps never caught smallpox the reach of many. It was his gift to the world.

In the 18th century, (1) was a very serious PROJECT

and contagious disease. Edward (2) was
a young doctor and he noticed something important: 6 Work in groups. Research another
people who had a similar disease, (3) , historical medical development.
never caught smallpox. Cowpox wasn’t as dangerous
7 In your group find out when it took
as smallpox, so in (4) , Jenner did an
place and where, who instigated the
experiment. He infected a young boy called development, what the results were and
(5) Phipps with cowpox. James was how this has benefited the world today.
ill but he quickly recovered. Then, Jenner infected
Phipps with (6) . He waited for a long 8 In your group, prepare a presentation on
time, but Phipps never caught (7) . your medical development.
He was protected. This was the first example of
(8) . VOCABULARY FOCUS
blister [n]: a swollen area on your skin that is full of
a clear liquid and is caused by being burnt or rubbed
4 Answer the questions.
contagious [adj]: a contagious disease spreads
1 Why was smallpox such a common disease?
from one person to another through touch or through
the air
2 In the 18th century, how did people catch cowpox? eradicate [v]: to remove or get rid of something
completely, especially something bad
fatigue [n]: a feeling of being extremely tired, either
3 What did Edward Jenner notice about people physically or mentally
who worked with cows? immunology [n]: the study of how diseases can be
prevented and how the immune system works
milkmaid [n]: an old word meaning ‘a woman whose
4 How did Jenner perform the first vaccination? job is to milk cows’
pus [n]: a thick yellow liquid that forms in flesh that
has an infection
5 What is the origin of the word ‘vaccination’?
treatment [n]: the process of providing medical care

6 How was smallpox eradicated in 1980?

Optimise B1+ Optimise B1+ Teacher’s Resource Centre © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2017.
This sheet may be photocopied and used within the class.
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