Early vaccination thumbnail|Dr Edward Jenner performing his first vaccination on James Phipps, a boy of age 8. 14 May 1796. Painting by Ernest Board (early 20th century). In the early empirical days of vaccination, before Louis Pasteur's work on establishing the germ theory and Joseph Lister's on antisepsis and asepsis, there was considerable cross-infection. William Woodville, one of the early vaccinators and director of the London Smallpox Hospital is thought to have contaminated the cowpox matter – the vaccine – with smallpox matter and this essentially produced variolation. Other vaccine material was not reliably derived from cowpox, but from other skin eruptions of cattle.
early vaccination thumbnail|dr edward jenner performing his first vaccination on james phipps a boy of age 8 14 may 1796 painting by ernest board (early 20th century) in the early empirical days of vaccination before louis pasteur's work on establishing the germ theory and joseph lister's on antisepsis and asepsis there was considerable cross-infection william woodville one of the early vaccinators and director of the london smallpox hospital is thought to have contaminated the cowpox matter – the vaccine – with smallpox matter and this essentially produced variolation other vaccine material was not reliably derived from cowpox but from other skin eruptions of cattle