This film tells the story of a group of doctors who went to the South Pacific islands of Tonga to immunize people against smallpox, using an experimental vaccination device. The narrator, one of the doctors, gives a brief history of Tonga, explaining that the small population is peaceful, isolated, and has no history of smallpox. He then explains the new jet injection gun, operated by foot pedal, which is much cheaper and more efficient than standard vaccination methods. Doctors first vaccinate the royal family which sets an example for the rest of the population, who willingly accept the vaccinations and are pleasantly surprised by the relatively painless process. After vaccinating everyone on the main island, the doctors take fishing boats out to the smaller surrounding islands to vaccinate others. The doctors visit all of the patients two weeks later to test the results, which are satisfactory. The narrator notes that together, America and Tonga had taken an important step to promote the health of the world.
Produced by United States Public Health Service.
Learn more about this film and search its transcript at NLM Digital Collections: resource.nlm.nih.gov/7800975A
Learn more about the National Library of Medicine's historical audiovisuals program at: www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/collectio...
#medicalhistory #immunizations #southpacific #tongan
3 июн 2015
