Episode details
Contains scenes which some viewers may find upsetting.
Available for over a year
In 1978 the world is on the brink of declaring victory over smallpox. No cases have been seen for months, and it looks like the end for a deadly, painful disease. When a photographer in Birmingham begins to feel ill, doctors are mystified: it looks like smallpox, but how could she have caught it? As they try to contain the outbreak, questions about blame and lab safety erupt in a media frenzy, questions that remain today. If you are suffering distress or despair, details of help and support are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.
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