[The royal philanthropic expedition of the vaccine (Xavier de Balmis/Josep Salvany). 1803-1806].

Six years after Jenner discovered the anti-smallpox vaccine, King Charles IV mandated the initiation of vaccination campaigns throughout his kingdom. The overseas campaign was coordinated by the Valencian military doctor Xavier de Balmis with the aid of the Catalan Josep Salvany. The vaccine was transported to America "in vivo" in 22 children. The expedition departed from La Coruña on November 1806 and arrived to the Venezuelan port of La Guayra where it was split in two: One sub expedition under the order of Josep Salvany, continued by land to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. Salvany died in the Bolivian city of Cochabamba. The other sub expedition, leaded by Balmis himself, continued by sea to Cuba and Mexico. From Acapulco it arrived to Manila and from there to Macau followed by inland penetration into China.