There is an interesting historical point that adds to the current vaccination perspective. I have not yet heard this fact in any public discussions.
Denmark experienced a serious smallpox epidemic in the early 1800s and the government there passed a law in March 1810 requiring all of the population to be vaccinated (unless they had already been infected). These individual vaccinations were specifically recorded in medical records as well as in church (parish) records. This continued from that time forward for decades and provide an important tool in genealogical research. To this day, in many cases, you can look up a Danish ancestor and find out exactly what day they were vaccinated and what vaccine was used.
For example, my wife's second great grandfather Ole Nielsen was vaccinated on 5 Oct 1818, as recorded in his confirmation record of 1832 (see vaccination record column on the right side).
So the current process of having our vaccinations recorded and verified is nothing new. It was taking place over two hundred years ago. Because of these vaccinations, the disease of smallpox, which was much more devastating to the world than the current Covid-19, was essentially eliminated.
