Jefferson, the US, and Vaccination Sentiments Then and Now

Annual student essay competition endowed by Philip L. Carret aimed at having Elon University students reflect on the ideals and principles embodied in Thomas Jefferson's life and career. Prize-winning student essays from the competition based on the following topic: COVID and Smallpox: Thomas Jefferson and the Politics of Vaccination Despite being skeptical of many medical practices in his time, Thomas Jefferson embraced experimental medicine in the fight against smallpox, one of the deadliest diseases in human history. As a 23-year-old, Jefferson traveled to Philadelphia and participated in an experimental smallpox inoculation procedure. Later, as president, he defended and promoted the discovery of a smallpox vaccine despite its tepid reception by the public. Like the smallpox vaccination campaign during Jefferson’s day, COVID vaccinations have had a slow reception in the United States. As of September 2021, 80 million eligible Americans, many of whom embrace Jefferson’s ideals such as democracy, personal liberty, and resistance to tyranny, still have not been vaccinated despite the availability of three powerful vaccines. What might Jefferson’s writings have to tell us about why people embrace or resist vaccinations, and what are the similarities and differences between American’s vaccination sentiments today and during Jefferson’s time?