Main content

Europe's last smallpox epidemic

Dr Ana Gligic, a virologist in the former Yugoslavia, helped stop an epidemic of smallpox in Europe. Eighteen million people were vaccinated to contain the outbreak in 1972.

Eighteen million people were vaccinated against smallpox in the former communist Yugoslavia in only a month and a half in 1972. The mass vaccination campaign succeeded in containing the last smallpox epidemic in Europe. Dr Ana Gligic was a virologist who detected the first cases of the disease and helped tackle the outbreak.

PHOTO: A smallpox patient in Yugoslavia in 1972 (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

Available now

9 minutes

Last on

Wed 24 Nov 2021 03:50GMT

Broadcasts

  • Tue 23 Nov 2021 08:50GMT
  • Tue 23 Nov 2021 12:50GMT
  • Tue 23 Nov 2021 18:50GMT
  • Tue 23 Nov 2021 23:50GMT
  • Wed 24 Nov 2021 03:50GMT

Podcast