Two Bifurcated Needles used for Smallpox Vaccination

Made:
1968 in Europe
Two bifurcated needles for use in smallpox vaccination

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Two bifurcated needles for use in smallpox vaccination
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Two Bifurcated needles for use in smallpox vaccination

Bifurcated needles have two prongs and were developed in 1968. A small drop of smallpox vaccine is placed between the prongs and 15 punctures are made into the skin. The skin of the person to be vaccinated is not disinfected beforehand as this kills the vaccine.

The needles were easy to use and sterilise (by boiling or passing through a flame) and the technique could be learnt by anyone, making widespread effective vaccination possible. The needles replaced the older gun injectors and hi-tech jet injectors. These types of needles were used as part of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) smallpox eradication campaign. WHO officially announced that they had achieved their goal in 1979. However, small samples have been kept in government laboratories in both the USA and Russia. There have been fears that these reference samples could be used as the raw material for biological weapons.

Details

Category:
Public Health & Hygiene
Object Number:
1979-561
Materials:
metal (unknown)
Measurements:
overall: 51 mm 0.006 kg
type:
vaccination needle
credit:
Institute of Child Health