Work

Respuestas y resistencias en la lucha contra la viruela, Chile, siglos XVIII-XX

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This article explores how political and health authorities in Chile responded to smallpox epidemics. It focuses on the methods employed (isolation, variolation, and vaccination) and the institutional strengthening that led to mandatory smallpox vaccination. We argue that these responses reflect the centralization of state power in public health and a process of institutional consolidation. However, the implementation of these policies met with passive resistance, as evidenced by low vaccination rates in the first half of the twentieth century. This reveals tensions between state health objectives and their social acceptance.

Source: História Ciências Saúde-Manguinhos

DOI: 10.1590/s0104-59702026000100012

Author: Paula Caffarena

Institution: Finis Terrae University

Language: Spanish

Topic: History of Medicine and Tropical Health

Subfield: History

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología, Conocimiento e Innovación