Abstract:
Smallpox vaccination was first introduced into the erstwhile
princely State of Travancore by 1804 and was touted by the ruling elites
as an unmitigated public health policy success. This paper explores and
interrogates the introduction, progress and achievements of vaccination
in Travancore, demonstrating how vaccination had limited reach and
efficacy through most of the 1800s and early 1900s. The state 'enforced'
vaccination using policies and initiatives which closely followed
colonial vaccination policies, largely avoiding any hint of coercion.
By the 1930's, however, vaccination policy in Travancore took a far
more draconian path, reflecting the increased confidence of the state.
This paper also explores in detail the diverse population responses to
this "quintessentially colonial" health policy.
