“AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE. ”
– Ben Franklin, “On Protection of Towns from Fire,” The Philadelphia Gazette, February 4, 1735
While Ben Franklin’s famous insight about prevention was advocating for fire safety, it also applies to preventing disease and premature death. Here are some highlights in the advancement of prevention throughout history.
First attempts at smallpox inoculation documented in China and India.
First-ever vaccine invented by Edward Jenner—for smallpox.
Global Influenza outbreak causes ~50 million deaths.
Jonas Salk invents first effective vaccine for polio, a highly contagious virus that can cause paralysis and kill ~5% of children and ~30% of adults who are infected.
Measles, mumps, rubella vaccine licensed, inducing 94% to 96% immunity.
First official reporting in Los Angeles of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
FDA approves Gardasil, a vaccine that protects against human papillomavirus (HPV). Approximately 14 million Americans contract HPV annually, which can cause several types of cancer.
FDA approves an oral treatment for hepatitis C, which cures 90% of cases with few side effects.
COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, declared a pandemic. As of December 18, of 51 vaccine candidates in development globally, FDA approved two for emergency use in U.S.
The practices of quarantine and physical distancing used in Europe to curb plague epidemics.
U.S. introduces federal quarantine legislation to quell an outbreak of yellow fever.
14-day self-quarantine advised in many U.S. states for people who may have COVID-19 or travelled to infection hotspots.
Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis recommends handwashing for physicians in his maternity clinic, which decreased maternal mortality rates from 16% to 3%.
Florence Nightingale and other nurses implement handwashing and other hygiene practices at a British base hospital during the Crimean War, reducing death rates by 66%.
CDC establishes hand hygiene guidelines in use today.
Greek physician Hippocrates proposes the miasma theory of disease, which claims “bad air” causes disease. This theory was widely accepted through the end of the 19th century.
British physician John Snow connects London cholera outbreak to contaminated drinking water, challenging the miasma theory of disease.
French scientist Louis Pasteur proposes germ theory of disease, where most infectious diseases are caused by microbes.
American physician A.J. Jessup recommends wearing cotton masks to reduce infection during epidemics. His idea was largely ignored.
German scientist Carl Friedrich Flügge publishes research on the transmission of disease via respiratory droplets and suggests a mouth covering be worn during surgery. Surgical masks became standard practice in the 1930s.
To quell contagion during influenza pandemic, face masks encouraged, even mandatory in some cities.
Universal masking promoted during the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce contagion.
Tuberculosis (TB) responsible for 25% of deaths in Europe and the U.S. The disease can be traced back 9,000 years in the Mediterranean.
Sir Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin, for which he and two others received the Nobel Prize in 1945.
Antibiotic era begins with introduction of large-scale use of penicillin for treating bacterial infections.
Pap test developed to better understand menstrual cycles.
Mammography develops as a screening test and is officially recommended in 1976.
First colonoscopy performed in New York.
Low doses of aspirin can help prevent reoccurrence of heart attack and stroke in individuals who have already experienced an event, which is known as secondary prevention.
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends important preventive screenings, including cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, and skin cancer tests.
CDC estimates 60% of Americans live with at least one chronic disease, such as heart disease, cancer, lung disease, Alzheimer’s, or diabetes.
American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates >1.8 million people will be diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. and more than 600,000 will die from it (not including some skin cancers, which are not required to be reported to cancer registries).
Three-point seatbelt invented.
All states in the U.S. mandate use of child car seats.
Road fatalities increase 3.2% after repeal of federal speed limits.
All automobiles required to have front airbags, which reduce 29% of driver fatalities and 32% of front-seat passenger fatalities.
Surgeon General issues first report on harms of smoking.
30 states institute laws requiring 100% smoke-free workplaces, restaurants, and bars.
Study shows preterm births and hospital admissions for asthma decreased 10% since public smoking bans.
Though smoking-related deaths in U.S. decreased 55% since 1990, smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and premature death.
FDA establishes first regulations for sunscreen.
Study shows daily use of SPF 15+ sunscreen reduces risk of developing skin cancer by 50%.
