It’s hard to imagine a time in the United States when viral diseases like smallpox were commonplace and deadly. In 1900, a smallpox epidemic swept through the nation, killing 894 people and infecting more than 21,000. Thanks to groundbreaking medical advancements over the past century, smallpox and other diseases like it have been wiped out and largely forgotten.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=225319