prevaccine

Prevaccine refers to the historical period before vaccines existed or before widespread vaccination campaigns reduced transmission of a disease. It is used to contrast with the post-vaccine era in which immunization has become central to disease control.

Historically, the prevaccine era for diseases such as smallpox, measles, and polio involved frequent outbreaks, high child mortality, and limited medical options beyond supportive care. The introduction of the smallpox vaccine by Edward Jenner in 1796 is commonly cited as a turning point, beginning the transition from the prevaccine to a vaccinated era for that disease. Over the 19th and 20th centuries, additional vaccines gradually reduced incidence and altered transmission patterns for other infections as well.

In the prevaccine era, public health relied on nonpharmaceutical measures such as quarantine, sanitation improvements, clean water, vector control, and case management to limit spread. Life expectancy and child mortality were heavily influenced by endemic infections that vaccines later largely eliminated or controlled.

Today, the term prevaccine is used mainly in historical analysis and public health education to illustrate the impact of immunization, to compare disease burdens across eras, and to discuss ongoing challenges in vaccine development and distribution. It underscores the role of vaccines as a major tool in preventing infectious diseases and protecting populations.