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Social History of Medicine 1992 5(3):369-388; doi:10.1093/shm/5.3.369
© 1992 by Society for the Social History of Medicine
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The Right to Die? Anti-vaccination Activity and the 1874 Smallpox Epidemic in Stockholm

MARIE CLARK NELSON and JOHN ROGERS*

*Department of History, Uppsala University St Johannesgatan 21, S-753 12 Uppsala Sweden

SUMMARY In 1873—4 Sweden suffered its last smallpox epidemic. The disease broke out in epidemic proportions in Stockholm late in the autumn of 1873. The medical corps in the capital city had long been concerned about what they regarded as the failure of the vaccination programme and warned the authorities about the prospects of an epidemic if the disease, which was raging Europe, reached the city. Stockholm was less well protected than the rest of the country, partially because the vaccination system had broken down there. However, there was also resistance to vaccination in various social classes. While some resistance may have been on religious grounds, some reflected the uncertainty that had arisen about the effectiveness of vaccination when the protection proved to be less than lifelong. Publicists also distributed literature emphasizing the right of individuals to make their own decisions rather than being coerced by society. The liberal social policy of the day was reflected in more restrictive policies that shifted responsibility from the collective to the private spheres. Not until faced by a crisis in the form of an epidemic did the municipal government act.

Keywords: anti-vaccination activity; epidemic; immunity; liberal social policy; revaccination; smallpox; Stockholm; Sweden


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