Edward Jenner, often called the father of immunisation, discovered and introduced the first successful vaccine for which infectious disease?

Introduction / Context:

This question checks your knowledge of early vaccine history, which is a very common topic in general science and medical awareness. Edward Jenner is a key figure who showed that it is possible to prevent certain diseases by exposing the body to a milder, related infection. Identifying which disease he worked on helps you understand how vaccination began and why Jenner is so important in public health history.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The scientist named in the question is Edward Jenner.
• The topic is his discovery of a vaccine.
• The options list several major infectious diseases such as polio, tuberculosis, smallpox and rabies.
• You need to link Jenner with the correct disease for which he developed a vaccine.

Concept / Approach:

Edward Jenner, an English physician of the eighteenth century, noticed that milkmaids who had caught cowpox, a mild disease in humans, seemed to be protected against smallpox, a deadly and disfiguring infection. He tested this idea by deliberately exposing a boy to cowpox and later to smallpox, observing that the boy did not develop smallpox. This procedure is considered the first scientific vaccination, and it specifically targeted smallpox. Other diseases such as polio and rabies had vaccines developed much later by different scientists, so they cannot be the correct answer here.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Medical history books frequently describe Jenner as the pioneer of the smallpox vaccine. They recount how smallpox killed or disfigured many people before vaccination became common. Official accounts of the World Health Organization credit vaccination, starting from Jenner s work, with eventually eradicating smallpox worldwide. No reliable source assigns Jenner to vaccines for polio, tuberculosis or rabies, confirming that smallpox is the only correct option.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

The polio vaccine was developed in the twentieth century by scientists such as Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin, not by Jenner.

The tuberculosis vaccine, known as BCG, was developed by Calmette and Guerin, not by Jenner.

The rabies vaccine was created by Louis Pasteur, another great name in microbiology, but again not by Jenner.

Tetanus vaccines are also twentieth century developments and have no link to Jenner s eighteenth century experiments.

Common Pitfalls:

Some learners confuse Jenner with Pasteur because both are linked with vaccination. A simple way to avoid this is to remember one pair clearly: Jenner and smallpox, Pasteur and rabies. Once you fix these pairs in your memory, questions that mix these names become much easier to answer accurately under exam pressure.

Final Answer:

Edward Jenner discovered a vaccine for smallpox.