History of Vaccines

  • First Vaccine

    First Vaccine
    Edward Jenner is considered to be the first person to create a vaccine. The vaccine that he created was for smallpox.
  • First Chicken Cholera Vaccine

    First Chicken Cholera Vaccine
    The chicken/fowl cholera vaccine was created by Louis Pasteur. This was a revolutionary moment because it was the first laboratory produced vaccine. Chicken Cholera usually only affects wild birds.
  • Anthrax Vaccine

    Anthrax Vaccine
    Louis Pasteur tested vaccines for anthrax on sheep. Anthrax used to be a dangerous disease that primarily affects animals and sometimes affects humans. The testing of vaccines on anthrax helped support Pasteur's theory of immunity. Evidence for this theory helped Pasteur work on another vaccine.
  • Rabies Vaccine

    Rabies Vaccine
    The Rabies vaccine was first used on this date and was created by Louis Pasteur. Pasteur tested the vaccine on dogs and knew that it would work but was unsure if it would work on humans. The first person to use the vaccine survived with the help of the vaccine. This helps prove that vaccines work and that allowing the body to adapt to a weakened version of a disease is very effective.
  • Whooping Cough Vaccine

    Whooping Cough Vaccine
    This disease protects against a respiratory disease called whooping cough. Kendrick and Eldering made an improved version of this vaccine that also protects against diphtheria and tetanus in the 1940s.
  • Yellow Fever Vaccine

    Yellow Fever Vaccine
    In 1937, Theiler created the yellow fever vaccine. This disease has haunted Africa and South America. The vaccine helped reduce outbreaks and is rare today.
  • First Flu Vaccine is Invented

    First Flu Vaccine is Invented
    Thomas Francis and Jonas Salk developed the first flu vaccine with the U.S. government's help. Diseases are changing and there can be more than one type of vaccine. The flu is a virus different from previous diseases that come from bacteria. Different types of the flu can show up each year and the government needs to know which one is prevalent so that they can manufacture and distribute vaccines.
  • Polio Vaccine is Licensed

    Polio Vaccine is Licensed
    The polio vaccine is developed by Jonas Salk. This vaccine was revolutionary because it was the first vaccine to be taken orally.
  • Measles Vaccine

    Measles Vaccine
    Thomas Peebles and John Enders collected blood samples from a measles outbreak in 1954. In 1963, the measles vaccine was licensed. This vaccine is a part of the MMR vaccine that children should get.
  • Chicken Pox Vaccine

    Chicken Pox Vaccine
    Dr. Michiaki Takahashi develops a vaccine for chicken pox. The CDC claims that the U.S. version of the vaccine has prevented 91 million cases of chicken pox.
  • Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (Pneumonia Vaccine)

    Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (Pneumonia Vaccine)
    Robert Austrian was the developer of the pneumonia vaccine. This vaccine helped people learn how to develop other vaccines for diseases caused by bacteria.
  • Smallpox is Eradicated

    Smallpox is Eradicated
    Smallpox is now considered extinct with the use of vaccination. This was the first disease eradicated from vaccination according to the World Health Organization. One small step for vaccines one giant step for mankind.
  • Hepatitis B Vaccine

    Hepatitis B Vaccine
    In 1981, the hepatitis B vaccine was approved for human use. Pablo Valenzuela is credited with the vaccine's development. This vaccine is important to vaccine history because it is synthetically created and has no traces of blood.
  • Coronavirus Outbreak

    Coronavirus Outbreak
    The CDC officially declares the Coronavirus as an outbreak. This moment was important because it tested today's technology and how fast people could adapt.
  • Creation of Coronavirus Vaccine

    Creation of Coronavirus Vaccine
    Karikó and Drew Weissman created the Coronavirus vaccine. Over 3 million have died of Covid-19 according to the World Health Organization. This vaccine has saved lives and shows that the importance of vaccines is still relevant today.