| 1947 New York City smallpox outbreak | |
|---|---|
| Disease | Smallpox |
| Location | New York City |
| Arrival date | March 1, 1947 |
| Date | March 1, 1947 to April 24, 1947 |
| Confirmed cases | 12 |
| Hospitalized cases | 12 |
| Recovered | 10 |
Deaths | 2 |
| Vaccinations | 6,350,000 adults and children |
The 1947 New York City smallpox outbreak occurred in March 1947 and was declared ended on April 24, 1947. The outbreak marked the largest mass vaccination effort ever conducted for smallpox in America. Within three weeks of the discovery of the outbreak, the U.S. Public Health Service, in conjunction with New York City health officials, had procured the smallpox vaccine and inoculated over 6,350,000 adults and children.[1] Of that number, 5,000,000 had been vaccinated within the first two weeks. The rapid response was credited with limiting the outbreak to 12 people, 10 of whom recovered, while 2 died.[2][3]
- ^ Florio, John; Shapiro, Ouisie (December 18, 2020). "How New York City Vaccinated 6 Million People in Less Than a Month". The New York Times. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ Weinstein, Israel (November 1947). "An Outbreak of Smallpox in New York City". American Journal of Public Health. 37 (11): 1376–1384. doi:10.2105/ajph.37.11.1376. PMC 1624122. PMID 18016627.
- ^ Thorpe, Lorna E.; Mostashari, Farzad; Karpati, Adam M; et al. (May 2004). "Mass Smallpox Vaccination and Cardiac Deaths, New York City, 1947". Emerging Infectious Diseases. 10 (5): 917–920. doi:10.3201/eid1005.040119. PMC 3323199. PMID 15200831.