During the 1700s in England,
women helped on farms.
Milkmaids were women who
milked the cows.
Some cows got a disease
called cowpox.
Edward Jenner was a doctor
in England. He often saw
people who were very
sick with another disease
called smallpox. Some of
his patients died from this
disease. This made him sad.
Dr. Jenner realized that cowpox might protect
people from smallpox. Cowpox did not make
people very sick, but smallpox did. He would
see if what people were saying was right. He
decided to do an experiment.
Sarah Nelmes was a
young milkmaid. She
milked a cow named
Blossom. When Blossom
had cowpox, Sarah got
sores on her hands.
Dr. Jenner asked to
take a sample of pus
from her sores.
Dr. Jenner heard
people talking about
the milkmaids. They
said that milkmaids
who got cowpox did
not get smallpox.
Milkmaids would get
sores on their hands
from milking the
sick cows. The good
news was that the
milkmaids did not
get very sick when
they got cowpox.
Edward Jenner
Getting help from a cow, a milkmaid and a boy
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Material adapted from the Vax Pack Hero project produced by the Vaccine Education Center at
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. For more resources, including an online game, visit VaxPackHero.org.
VaccineMakers.org
