The forgotten hero who helped eradicate one of humanity’s oldest killers
Vox
February 25, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
William Foege, a physician and epidemiologist who played a pivotal role in eradicating smallpox, passed away on January 24, 2023, with little fanfare despite his extraordinary contributions to global health. Often overlooked by the general public, Foege’s work was so effective that it rendered smallpox—a disease that killed an estimated 300 million people in the 20th century—virtually forgotten. His greatest achievement was developing the ring vaccination strategy, which focused on identifying and isolating outbreaks rather than attempting mass vaccination. This approach proved crucial in regions with limited resources, particularly in countries like India and Nigeria, where smallpox was rampant.
The eradication of smallpox, formally declared by the World Health Organization in 1980, stands as one of humanity’s greatest collaborative achievements. It required unprecedented global cooperation, including contributions from geopolitical rivals like the Soviet Union and the CDC. Foege’s strategy, combined with innovations such as heat-stable vaccines and bifurcated needles, made it possible to stop the disease in its tracks. By 1977, smallpox had been reduced to just a handful of cases, with the last natural case occurring in Somalia that year.
Foege’s legacy is deeply relevant today, especially as the U.S. government and other nations turn away from vaccination efforts
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Originally published on Vox on 2/25/2026