title: [Andrés Bello and the royal philanthropic vaccine expedition].
abstract: In 1803 [corrected], Charles IV King of Spain, sent an expedition to perform widespread ("arm to arm") vaccination against smallpox in the American colonies. The expedition led by Dr Francisco Javier de Belmis visited Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia and Chile. A poem to the vaccine was written by Andres Bello, the first rector of the University of Chile, then in Venezuela (1804). The expedition reached Chile in 1807, led by Dr Julián Grajales. This expedition was the most important medical act in the history of the Spanish colonies.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Costa-Casaretto
mesh_terms: D005197:Famous Persons; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006801:Humans; D008513:Medicine in Literature; D011037:Poetry as Topic; D012900:Smallpox Vaccine / Q000266:history*; D014687:Venezuela
chemical_list: D012900:Smallpox Vaccine
vernacular_title: Andrés Bello la real expedición filantrópica de la vacuna.