Challenge: Da Vinci invents Smallpox vaccine

So I was thinking how could American Indians be spared from the ravages of old world diseases like smallpox and measels. The only logical way I could come up with is European science defeating these illnesses before Columbus sets sail. Is this possible or ASB?
 

Philip

Donor
So I was thinking how could American Indians be spared from the ravages of old world diseases like smallpox and measels. The only logical way I could come up with is European science defeating these illnesses before Columbus sets sail. Is this possible or ASB?

This will not prevent the spread of the diseases to the New World. It would not be possible at that time to eradicate the diseases 'in the wild'.
 
This will not prevent the spread of the diseases to the New World. It would not be possible at that time to eradicate the diseases 'in the wild'.

OTOH, Edward Jenner did all that innoculation with cowpox vaccine in the 18th Century, and while he didn't eradicate smallpox 'in the wild' he certainly reduced the number of deaths. Certainly the cowpox was known about in the time of LdV, and it was known that people who caught cowpox didn't get smallpox; but people hadn't made the obvious connection between the two facts. If they had, the entire history of the Western Hemispher would have been very different.
 

Philip

Donor
OTOH, Edward Jenner did all that innoculation with cowpox vaccine in the 18th Century, and while he didn't eradicate smallpox 'in the wild' he certainly reduced the number of deaths.

Indeed, but this has nothing to do with the OP's question about spreading of disease to the New World.
 
Okay so obviously wiping out smallpox is ASB at this point in time but is it true that cowpox was known in Da Vinci's time as this was what I was really looking for to see if Edward Jenner's success could happen centuries earlier.
 

Stephen

Banned
I doubt it would have any benefits for the amerindians as even the most dedicated missionaries would only be able to vacinate a few it would mainly increase the population growth in Europe and there settlers.
 
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