

5. Resistance and Fear
Nov 18, 2021
Explore the 1885 Leicester protest, where 100,000 people rallied against vaccination mandates amidst fears of state control. Delve into the origins of vaccination and the cultural revulsion that fueled skepticism. Discover how quack medicine and economic competition amplified distrust. Hear about the Anti-Compulsory Vaccination League's fight for rights, and the dramatic rise in organized resistance. The heavy-handed government approach only deepened the connection between vaccination and oppression, igniting a movement that questioned authority.
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Leicester's Massive Anti‑Vaccination Protest
- A crowd of up to 100,000 marched in Leicester on 23 March 1885, protesting compulsory vaccination with carnival-like pageantry.
- Protesters burned laws, paraded a coffin, and repeatedly hanged an effigy of Edward Jenner to show their fury.
Jenner's Fame Met Immediate Backlash
- Edward Jenner initially promoted vaccination widely and set up the first free clinic in Berkeley.
- Early praise coexisted with immediate resistance expressed through media and satire.
Cartoons Fueled Public Revulsion
- Caricatures like The Vaccination Monster and James Gillray's prints depicted grotesque mutations to stoke public fear.
- Visual satire linked vaccination to monstrous bodily changes and moral disgust.