Vaccines have a history dating back more than 200 years ago when Edward Jenner created the 1st vaccine in 1796 to battle a once very common and deadly disease, smallpox. Since then, vaccines have been a continued effort to prevent/combat diseases and have saved countless lives. Some diseases have been eliminated or were never endemic (regularly found) in the United States. Some diseases have vaccines developed for them, but are not part of the routine recommended immunization schedule for residents of the United States. However, in other countries, these diseases still exist or are endemic and you may need certain vaccinations before traveling to some destinations.