| Date | Event and related notes |
| December 16, 2016 | CDC published ACIP's recommendations on 2-dose HPV vaccine series for younger adolescents. |
| November 18, 2016 | FDA approved extending the age range for use of FluLaval Quadrivalent to include children 6 to 35 months of age. |
| November 4, 2016 | CDC published ACIP recommendations for use of meningococcal conjugate vaccines in HIV-infected persons. |
| September 27, 2016 | PAHO/WHO announced measles elimination in the Americas. |
| August 26, 2016 | CDC published 2016–17 influenza vaccination recommendations. |
| August 2016 | AAP released new policy statement that urges states to eliminate all non-medical exemptions to vaccine requirements. |
| July 11, 2016 | FDA extended the age indication for PCV13 (Prevnar 13) to include adults age 18 through 49 years. |
| June 22, 2016 | ACIP voted that live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) should not be used during the 2016–2017 flu season. |
| June 15, 2016 | FDA approved revisions in the package insert for YF-Vax to reflect changes to International Health Regulations and WHO/ACIP recommendations. |
| June 10, 2016 | FDA approved Vaxchora for the prevention of cholera. |
| April 14, 2016 | FDA approved changes to vaccine administration schedule for Trumenba vaccine. |
| February 5, 2016 | National Vaccine Program Office released an National Adult Immunization Plan. |
| February 1, 2016 | 2016 U.S. recommended immunization schedules for 0 through 18 years and "catch up" published in MMWR. |
| January 14, 2016 | FDA approved Hiberix for full Hib vaccine series. |
| December 14, 2015 | FDA expanded Gardasil 9 licensure to include males age 16–26 years. |
| November 24, 2015 | FDA approved new injectable influenza vaccine, Fluad, for use in people age 65 years and older |
| October 23, 2015 | ACIP published recommendations for the use of serogroup B meningococcal vaccines in adolescents and young adults. |
| September 4, 2015 | CDC published updated ACIP recommendations regarding the intervals between PCV13 and PPSV23 vaccines for use in immunocompetent adults age 65 years and older |
| August 14, 2015 | WHO published "Recommendations on Vaccine Hesitancy" in special issue of the journal Vaccine. |
| June 19, 2015 | ACIP published recommendations for yellow fever booster doses. |
| June 12, 2015 | ACIP published recommendations for use of serogroup B meningococcal vaccines in people age ten years and older at increased risk for serogroup B meningococcal disease. |
| June 8, 2015 | American Medical Association adopted a new policy that supports ending non-medical vaccine exemptions, including those for healthcare professionals. |
| April 29, 2015 | The Pan American Health Organization declared rubella eliminated in the Americas. |
| March 27, 2015 | CDC published ACIP recommendations for use of 9-valent HPV vaccine. |
| March 27, 2015 | CDC published new ACIP recommendations for typhoid vaccination. |
| March 24, 2015 | FDA approved Quadracel, a new combination DTaP+IPV vaccine for use in children age 4–6 years. |
| January 23, 2015 | CDC's Health Alert Network issued a health advisory about a multi-state outbreak of measles linked to Disneyland. |
| January 23, 2015 | FDA approved the use of Bexsero, the second vaccine licensed in the U.S. to prevent serogroup B meningococcal disease. |
| December 19, 2014 | FDA approved Rapivab to treat influenza infection. |
| December 11, 2014 | FDA approved quadrivalent formulation of Fluzone Intradermal inactivated influenza vaccine. |
| December 10, 2014 | FDA approved the use of Gardasil 9 (Merck) 9-valent HPV vaccine in the U.S. |
| October 29, 2014 | FDA approved the use of Trumenba in the U.S. to prevent serogroup B meningococcal disease. |
| September 19, 2014 | CDC published ACIP recommendations for use of PCV13 and PPSV23 vaccines in adults age 65 and older. |
| June 20, 2014 | CDC published ACIP's recommendations for use of MenACWY-CRM vaccine in children age 2–23 months at increased risk for meningococcal disease. |
| May 5, 2014 | WHO Director-General declared the international spread of wild poliovirus in 2014 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. |
| April 25, 2014 | CDC report showed 20-year U.S. immunization program spares millions of children from diseases. |
| March 24, 2014 | FDA lowered age of licensure for Adacel vaccine administration from age 11 years to 10 years. |
| February 28, 2014 | CDC published ACIP recommendations for prevention and control of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) disease. |
| December 20, 2013 | CDC published guidance for HBV protection and postexposure management of healthcare personnel. |
| November 15, 2013 | CDC published new recommendations for use of Japanese encephalitisvaccine in children. |
| September 10, 2013 | National Vaccine Advisory Committee released revised "Standards for Adult Immunization Practice." |
| August 16, 2013 | FDA extended FluLaval IIV (GlaxoSmithKline) age range to include children and teens age 3–17 years; licenses quadrivalent FluLaval product. |
| August 1, 2013 | FDA expanded age indication for Menveo (Novartis) to include infants and toddlers age 2 through 23 months. |
| July 19, 2013 | CDC issued updated recommendations for use of VariZIG immune globulin for varicella postexposure prophylaxis. |
| June 28, 2013 | CDC issued recommendations for PCV and PPSV vaccination of children with immunocompromising conditions. |
| June 20, 2013 | ACIP voted to recommend FluBlok influenza vaccine for people age 18 through 49 with egg allergy. |
| June 14, 2013 | CDC published recommendations for preventing measles, rubella, congenital rubella syndrome, and mumps. |
| June 7, 2013 | FDA approved Fluzone (sanofi pasteur) as the third quadrivalent influenza vaccine licensed for U.S. use. |
| May 17, 2013 | Booster dose of yellow fever vaccine not needed, according to WHO. A single dose of vaccine is effective in providing long-term protection from yellow fever. |
| February 22, 2013 | ACIP recommended a dose of Tdap vaccine during each pregnancy. |
| February 8, 2013 | UNICEF and WHO condemned attacks on polio vaccination workers in Nigeria. |
| January 25, 2013 | FDA approved use of Prevnar 13 vaccine in older children and teens (6-17 years). |
| December 18, 2012 | Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) launched new Vaccine Error Reporting Program. |
| December 12, 2012 | FDA approved quadrivalent formulation of Fluarix (inactivated influenza vaccine; GlaxoSmithKline). |
| November 20, 2012 | FDA approved first seasonal influenza vaccine manufactured using cell culture technology (Flucelvax, Novartis). |
| October 24, 2012 | ACIP voted to recommend use of HibMenCY (Menhibrix, GlaxoSmithKline), a new combination (meningococcal and Hib) vaccine, in infants at increased risk for meningococcal disease. |
| October 24, 2012 | ACIP voted to recommend that pregnant women receive a dose of Tdap during each pregnancy irrespective of the patient's prior history of receiving Tdap. |
| June 24, 2012 | FDA approved HibMenCY (Menhibrix, GlaxoSmithKline), a new combination (meningococcal and Hib) vaccine for infants. |
| June 7, 2012 | FDA expanded licensure of PCV13 to include adults ages 50 years and older. |
| June 5, 2012 | U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report titled "Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program: Vulnerabilities in Vaccine Management." |
| April 1, 2012 | United Nations Foundation launched Shot@Life campaign. |
| December 30, 2011 | FDA expanded use of Prevnar 13 (PCV13, Pfizer) vaccine to include people ages 50 and older. |
| October 25, 2011 | ACIP recommended all 11 to 12 year-old males get vaccinated against HPV. |
| October 21, 2011 | Addition of history of intussusception as a contraindication for rotavirus vaccination. |
| August 25, 2011 | National survey indicated HPV vaccine rates trail other teen vaccines. |
| August 25, 2011 | Institute of Medicine issued the report titled "Review of Adverse Effects of Vaccines." Overall, the committee concludes that few health problems are caused by or clearly associated with vaccines. |
| July 8, 2011 | FDA approved Boostrix (Tdap, GlaxoSmithKline) to prevent tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis in older people. |
| May 19, 2011 | CDC hailed vaccinations as one of 10 public health achievements of first decade of 21st century in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). |
| April 22, 2011 | FDA approved the first vaccine (Menactra, meningococcal conjugate vaccine, sanofi pasteur) to prevent meningococcal disease in infants and toddlers. |
| February 15, 2011 | HHS releases U.S. National Vaccine Plan, covers activities, goals, and priorities for 2010-2015. |
| December 22, 2010 | FDA approved Gardasil HPV vaccine to include the indication for the prevention of anal cancer. |
| August 11, 2010 | WHO declared end to 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. |
| July 10, 2010 | First smallpox vaccine for certain immune-compromised populations delivered under Project BioShield. |
| March 19, 2010 | ACIP recommended use of a reduced (4-dose) vaccine schedule for PEP to prevent human rabies. |
| February 24, 2010 | FDA approved licensure of Pneumococcal 13-valent conjugate vaccine (PCV13), which offers broader protections against Steptococcus pneumoniae infections. |
| February 19, 2010 | FDA approved licensure of Menveo (Novartis), meningococcal conjugate vaccine for people ages 11 through 55 years. |
| January 29, 2010 | WHO hailed new Gates Foundation support ($10 billion) as the "Decade of Vaccines." |
| February 24, 2010 | ACIP recommended universal Influenza vaccination for those 6 months of age and older. |
| February 24, 2010 | FDA approved pneumococcal 13-valent conjugate vaccine (Prevnar 13), which offers broader protection against Streptococcus pneumoniae. |
| December 23, 2009 | FDA approved high-dose inactivated influenza vaccine (Fluzone High-Dose) for people ages 65 years and older. |
| November 16, 2009 | CDC issued Health Advisory 2009 H1N1 Pandemic Update: Pneumococcal vaccination recommended to help prevent secondary infections. |
| October 21, 2009 | Merck issued announcement that the company will not resume production of monovalent measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines. |
| October 16, 2009 | FDA approved new vaccine (Cervarix, GlaxoSmithKline) for the prevention of cervical cancer. |
| October 16, 2009 | FDA approved new indication for gardasil to prevent genital warts in men and boys. |
| September 15, 2009 | FDA approved four vaccines against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. |
| July 1, 2009 | WHO and ACIP issued recommendations on the use of H1N1 influenza vaccines. |
| June 23, 2009 | HHS announced advanced development contract for new way to make flu vaccine. |
| June 11, 2009 | Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General WHO, declared world now at the start of 2009 influenza pandemic. |
| May 22, 2009 | HHS directed $1 billion toward development of vaccine for novel influenza A (H1N1). |
| March 16, 2009 | ACIP voted to recommend hepatitis A vaccination for close contacts of international adoptees from countries with high and intermediate endemicity. |
| February 12, 2009 | Vaccine Court ruled that MMR vaccine, when administered with thimerosal-containing vaccines, does not cause autism. |
| January 15, 2009 | HHS awarded a $487 million contract to Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Inc to build a facility to manufacture cell-based influenza vaccine. |
| December 11, 2008 | FDA approved changes in the schedule for administering anthrax vaccine (BioThrax, manufactured by Emergent BioSolutions) and in the route of administration. |
| December 4, 2008 | FDA approved expanded indication for use of Boostrix Tdap vaccine in people ages 10-64 years. |
| October 27, 2008 | National Quality Forum included the hepatitis B birth dose among its consensus standards for improving health care for mothers and newborns. |
| June 24, 2008 | FDA approved new DTaP-IPV vaccine (Kinrix) for use in children ages 4-6 years. |
| June 5, 2008 | FDA approved the use of sanofi pasteur's Tenivac tetanus and diphtheria toxoids adsorbed for adults age 60 years and older. In the original licensure, the age indication was for persons ages 7-59 years. |
| April 3, 2008 | FDA approved new rotavirus vaccine (Rotarix) for use in U.S. Rotarix is a liquid and given in a two-dose series to infants from 6 to 24 weeks of age. |
| April 2, 2008 | CDC issued Health Advisory in response to widespread measles outbreaks in U.S. |
| March 14, 2008 | CDC updated its recommendations for administering combination MMRV vaccine. |
| February 29, 2008 | CDC announced it had begun distribution of a new-generation smallpox vaccine, ACAM2000 (Acambis, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts), to civilian laboratory personnel, the military, and state public health preparedness programs. |
| February 27, 2008 | ACIP voted to expand influenza recommendation to include vaccination for children ages 6 months-18 years. |
| December 7, 2007 | CDC published updated recommendation for meningococcal vaccination of at-risk children age 2-10 years in MMWR. |
| October 26, 2007 | ACIP voted to recommend the use of FluMist, the live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV; nasal-spray formulation) to include children age 2-5 years. |
| October 19, 2007 | CDC published updated recommendations for prevention of hepatitis A virus infection after exposure and before international travel in MMWR. |
| October 18, 2007 | FDA approved use of Menactra, a bacterial meningitis vaccine, in children age 2-10 years. |
| September 28, 2007 | FDA approved Afluria, a new inactivated influenza vaccine for use in people age 18 years and older. |
| September 19, 2007 | FDA approved use of FluMist nasal-spray influenza vaccine in children age 2-5 years. |
| August 10, 2007 | CDC notified MMWR readers of revised recommendations to vaccinate all persons ages 11-18 with MCV4 at earliest opportunity. |
| July 20, 2007 | MMWR notified readers that revised International Health Regulations have gone into effect for the United States. |
| July 17, 2007 | HHS announced a plan to provide $175 million to assist states in pandemic influenza preparedness efforts. |
| June 27-28, 2007 | ACIP voted to recommend routine use of meningococcal conjugate vaccine in adolescents ages 11-18 years. |
| June 15, 2007 | HHS awarded $132.5 million to sanofi pasteur and MedImmune over five years to retrofit existing domestic vaccine manufacturing facilities on a cost-sharing basis and to provide warm-base operations for manufacturing pandemic influenza vaccines. |
| March 28, 2007 | FDA approved an accelerated dosing schedule for Twinrix (hepatitis A and B vaccine). The schedule consists of three doses given within three weeks followed by a booster dose at 12 months (0, 7, 21–30 days, 12 months). |
| April 17, 2007 | FDA approves first U.S. vaccine for humans against the avian influenza virus H5N1. |
| January 7, 2007 | FDA licensed the refrigerator formulation of FluMist. |
| June 29, 2006 | ACIP recommends second dose of varicella vaccine for children. |
| June 8, 2006 | FDA licensed the first vaccine developed to prevent cervical cancer (Gardasil by Merck & Co., Inc.), precancerous genital lesions, and genital warts due to human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16, and 18. |
| May 25, 2006 | FDA licensed a new vaccine to reduce the risk of shingles (herpes zoster) in the elderly. The vaccine (Zostavax by Merck & Co., Inc.) is approved for use in people aged 60 years of age and older. |
| Feb 24, 2006 | VariZIG, a new immune globulin product for postexposure prophylaxis of varicella, is available under an Investigational New Drug Application Expanded Access Protocol. |
| Feb 3, 2006 | Rotavirus vaccine, live, oral, pentavalent (RotaTeq by Merck) was licensed for use in infants ages 6 to 32 weeks. |
| Dec 19, 2005 | A final order on the anthrax vaccine was issued by FDA, stating that the licensed anthrax vaccine is safe and effective for the prevention of anthrax disease, regardless of the route of exposure. |
| Oct 18, 2005 | FDA approved lowering the age limit to 12 mos for the remaining U.S.-licensed hepatitis A vaccine in the U.S. (Havrix by GlaxoSmithKline). |
| Oct 7, 2005 | A new Federal Medicare rule became effective that required all long-term care facilities to offer annual vaccination for influenza and one-time vaccination for pneumococcal disease to all residents as a condition of participation in Medicare. |
| Sept 6, 2005 | A vaccine that combined the measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella antigens (Proquad by Merck) was licensed. The vaccine was indicated for use in children 12 months to 12 years. |
| Aug 31, 2005 | An inactivated, injectable influenza vaccine (Fluarix by GlaxoSmithKline) was licensed. The vaccine was indicated for adults 18 years of age and older. |
| Aug 11, 2005 | FDA approved lowering the age limit to 12 mos for one of the two licensed hepatitis A vaccine (Vaqta by Merck). |
| June 10, 2005 | FDA licensed a 2nd Tdap vaccine (Adacel by sanofi pasteur) for use in persons ages 11-64 years. |
| May 3, 2005 | An acellular pertussis vaccine combined with the adult formulation of tetanus and diphtheria (Tdap: Boostrix by GSK) was licensed for use as an active booster in persons 10-18 years of age. This product became the first licensed acellular pertussis-containing vaccine with an indication for adolescents. |
| April 3, 2005 | DHHS awarded a contract for $97 million to sanofi pasteur to develop cell culture-based influenza vaccines for the U.S. |
| March 21, 2005 | CDC announced that rubella was no longer endemic in the U.S. |
| Jan 14, 2005 | The first meningococcal polysaccharide (Serogroups A, C, Y and W-135) diphtheria toxoid conjugate vaccine (Menactra by sanofi pasteur) was licensed. This marked the first meningococcal vaccine that was immunogenic and indicated for children younger than 2 years of age. |
| Aug - Oct, 2004 | A significant shortage of influenza vaccine occurred in the U.S. (History: On August 25, 2004, as a result of routine testing required by FDA, Chiron Corporation, located in the U.K. and one of two suppliers of inactivated influenza vaccine for the U.S., identified bacterial contamination in a limited number of lots (approx 4.5 million doses) of its influenza vaccine. Chiron was expected to produce between 46 and 48 million doses of vaccine for the U.S. as part of a total vaccine supply of about 100 million doses. On Oct 4, 2004, authorities in the U.K. suspended the company's license for 3 months. On Oct 16, 2004, FDA announced that none of the influenza vaccine manufactured by Chiron for the U.S. market was safe for use. U.S. authorities recommended allocation of vaccine to those at highest risk of complications from influenza.) |
| May 4, 2004 | The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institute of Health (NIH), awarded a new license agreement for RotaShield, an oral rotavirus vaccine, created by NIAID scientists in the 1980s. The licensed was awarded to BIOVIRx, Inc., of Minneapolis, MN, which planned global commercialization of RotaShield. |
| May 2004 | Contracts were awarded to Aventis Pasteur and to Chiron to develop vaccine against the H5N1 avian influenza virus. |
| 2004 | The 8th and final report of the Immunization Safety Review Committee was issued by the Institute of Medicine. The report concluded that the body of epidemiological evidence favors rejection of a causal relationship between the MMR vaccine (and thimerosal-containing vaccines) and autism. |
| March 24, 2004 | Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids adsorbed for adult use (Decavac by Aventis Pasteur), preservative-free, was licensed. |
| Oct. 15, 2003 | ACIP voted to recommend that children 6 to 23 months of age be vaccinated annually against influenza, with implementation scheduled for the fall of 2004. |
| 2003 | $81 million was awarded by NIAID through four new contracts to support development of candidate HIV vaccines. The awards were part of NIAID's HIV Vaccine Design and Development Teams program, a public-private partnership that seeks to accelerate HIV vaccine development. The contract recipients were AlphaVAx Human Vaccines, Inc. (Durham, NC), Epimmune, Inc. (San Diego, CA), Novavax, Inc. (Columbia , MD), and Progenics Pharmaceuticals (Tarrytown, NY). |
| 2003 | Project Bioshield Act of 2003 was enacted. It authorized more than $5 billion over 10 years to pay for development of vaccines, drugs, and other biomedical countermeasures for biological, chemical, nuclear, and radiological weapons. The Act also empowered the Secretary of Health and Human Services to authorize the use of drugs and vaccines not licensed by the FDA in the event of an act of bioterrorism or other public health emergencies. |
| June 17, 2003 | The first nasally administered influenza vaccine (FluMist by MedImmune) was licensed. This live influenza A and B virus vaccine was indicated for healthy, non-pregnant persons ages 5-49 years. |
| Dec 13, 2002 | A vaccine that combined the diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, inactivated polio, and hepatitis B antigens (Pediarix by GlaxoSmithKline) was licensed. |
| June 21, 2002 | The European Region of the world was certified as polio-free. |
| May 14, 2002 | Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine (Daptacel by Aventis Pasteur) was licensed. |
| Feb 25, 2002 | GlaxoSmithKline announced that the company would no longer manufacture or distribute its Lyme disease vaccine, LYMErix, because of insufficient sales of the vaccine. |
| Dec 13, 2002 | President Bush announced a major smallpox vaccination program to protect the nation against the threat of potential biological warfare. The first phase of the program was targeted to 450,000 public health and healthcare personnel, however, the program stalled, with fewer than 40,000 health care workers and emergency responders vaccinated. |
| 2001 | The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation earmarked $70 million to develop and produce meningitis vaccines tailored for children and adults living in Africa. |
| 2001 | Following the events of September 11, 2001, IOM again called for creation of a national vaccine authority ""to advance the development, production, and procurement of new and improved vaccines of limited commercial potential but of global public health need."" |
| May 11, 2001 | A combined hepatitis A inactivated and hepatitis B (recombinant) vaccine (Twinrix by SmithKline Beecham) was licensed. |
| Feb 17, 2000 | A 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Prevnar by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals) was licensed for use in infants at 2, 4, 6 and 12-15 months of age to prevent invasive pneumococcal disease |
| 2000 | Measles was declared no longer endemic in the U.S. following eradication campaigns that began in 1967. |
| 2000 | The Western Pacific Region of the world was certified as polio-free. |
| Dec 9, 1999 | Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tripedia by Connaught) was licensed. |
| Oct 22, 1999 | ACIP voted to withdraw their recommendation for rotavirus vaccine after investigating reports of intussusception (a type of bowel obstruction that occurs when one part of the intestine folds into an immediately adjoining part) in infants within the first two weeks of receipt of the vaccine. Intussusception was found to occur at a rate of approximately 1 case for every 5,000 children vaccinated. |
| Oct 16, 1999 | Wyeth Lederle Vaccines voluntarily withdrew Rotashield from the market. |
| Fall 1999 | A meningococcal group C conjugate vaccine was introduced into the routine schedule in the U.K. for infants, adolescents (15-17 yrs), and college entrants. A second phase was planned to begin in January 2000, subject to availability of vaccine. |
| Sept 1999 | FDA approved a 2-dose schedule of hepatitis B vaccination for adolescents 11-15 years of age using Recombivax HB (Merck) with the 10 Β΅g (adult) dose at 0 and 4-6 months later. |
| June 17, 1999 | ACIP recommended exclusive use of inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) for infants and children |
| 1999 | The Dale and Betty Bumpers Vaccine Research Center (VRC) was established at the National Institutes of Health to facilitate research in vaccine development. The primary focus of VRC research was to be the development of vaccines for AIDS. |
| 1998 | ACIP recommended DTaP vaccines for all five doses in the vaccination schedule, because local reactions, fever, and other systemic events were found to occur substantially less often after DTaP administration than after administration of whole cell DTP. |
| Aug 26, 1998 | The Children's Vaccine Program was established at WHO's Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) with a $125 million gift from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The program's goal was to provide vaccines to children in the developing world and to accelerate research and development of new vaccines. The first vaccines purchased were Hib, hepatitis B, rotavirus, and pneumococcal, which were not commonly used in the developing world. |
| Dec 21, 1998 | Lyme Disease Vaccine (Recombinant OspA), (LYMErix by SmithKline Beecham) was licensed for use in persons ages 15 to 70 years. ACIP recommended that decisions on the use of the vaccine be made on the basis of assessment of individual risk, which included the extent of both person-tick contact and geographic risk. Just 3+ years later, on February 25, 2002, GlaxoSmithKline announced that the company would no longer manufacture or distribute LYMErix because of insufficient sales of the vaccine. |
| Aug 31, 1998 | Rotavirus vaccine, live, oral, tetravalent (RotaShield by Wyeth) was licensed for use in infants at 2, 4, and 6 months of age. |
| July 29, 1998 | Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine adsorbed (Certiva by North American Vaccine) was licensed for primary and booster immunization of infants and children (except as a 5th dose in children who have previously received 4 doses of DTaP). |
| 1998 | The first vaccine for the prevention of HIV/AIDS (Aidsvax) entered Phase III trial, the first large-scale human trial of an HIV vaccine. The trial involved more than 5,400 volunteers from the U.S., Canada, and the Netherlands, the majority of whom were men who have sex with men. Preliminary results from the trial AIDS VAX (VaxGen) vaccine were reported in early 2003. The HIV vaccine appeared to show a protective effect among non-Caucasian populations, especially African Americans, although sample sizes were small. However, for the majority of the participants, who were Caucasians, the effect of the vaccine was minimal. |
| Nov 21, 1997 | The FDA Modernization Act (FDAMA) was signed into law, amending the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and the Public Health Service Act to modernize the regulation of food, medical products, and cosmetics. FDAMA initiatives included measures to modernize the regulation of biological products. Specifically, changes included eliminating the need for establishment license applications, streamlining the approval processes for manufacturing changes, and reducing the need for environmental assessment as part of a product application. |
| 1997 | ACIP recommended booster doses of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine after 5 years for persons at highest risk of disease. |
| Oct 20, 1997 | Rabies vaccine (RabAvert by Chiron Behring) was licensed. |
| Jan 29, 1997 | Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine adsorbed (Infanrix by SmithKline Beecham) was licensed for the first four doses of the series. |
| Jan 1997 | ACIP recommended adoption of a sequential series of two doses of IPV followed by two doses of OPV for all infants and children to decrease the rare occurrences of Vaccine Associated Paralytic Polio (VAPP) that were noted following the administration of live oral poliovirus vaccine. |
| Dec 30, 1996 | Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine (Acel-Imune by Lederle) was licensed for use as the first through fifth doses in the series. |
| Sept 27, 1996 | Combination DTaP and Hib vaccine (TriHIBit by Aventis Pasteur) was licensed for the fourth dose in the DTaP and Hib series. |
| July 31, 1996 | Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine adsorbed (Tripedia by Aventis Pasteur) was licensed for primary and booster immunization of infants. |
| 1996 | The Interational AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) was launched, calling for the speedy development of a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine for use worldwide. The Initiative created the Scientific Blueprint for AIDS Vaccine Development. Since 1996, IAVI invested nearly $20 million in the research and development of HIV vaccines by companies and research institutes worldwide. IAVI received major financial support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; the World Bank; the Rockefeller, Sloan and Starr foundations; Becton, Dickinson & Co.; and eight national governments, among other donors. IAVI is a Collaborating Centre of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). |
| Oct 2, 1996 | A combined Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate and hepatitis B vaccine (Comvax by Merck) was licensed. |
| Mar 29, 1996 | A second inactivated hepatitis A vaccine (Vaqta by Merck) was licensed. |
| Feb 22, 1995 | The first inactivated hepatitis A vaccine (Havrix by SmithKline Beecham) was licensed. |
| Mar 17, 1995 | Varicella virus vaccine, live (Varivax by Merck) was licensed for the active immunization of persons 12 months of age and older. |
| 1995 | The ACIP, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Association of Family Physicians issued the first "harmonized" childhood immunization schedule, combining recommendations of all three national groups. |
| Nov 28, 1994 | Typhoid Vi polysaccharide inactivated injectable polysaccharide vaccine (Typhim Vi by Aventis Pasteur) was licensed. |
| 1994 | The Global Programme for Vaccines and Immunization was created, merging two WHO programs -- the Expanded Programme for Immunization and the former Programme for Vaccine Development, and adding a new unit for Vaccine Supply and Quality. |
| 1994 | The entire Western Hemisphere was certified as "polio-free" by the International Commission for the Certification of Polio Eradication, WHO. |
| 1993 | The Institute of Medicine published "The Children's Vaccine Initiative: Achieving the Vision." Later, following the events of September 11, 2001, the Institute of Medicine again called for creation of a national vaccine authority ""to advance the development, production, and procurement of new and improved vaccines of limited commercial potential but of global public health need."" |
| 1993 | The National Immunization Program (NIP) was created as a separate program reporting directly to the Office of the Director at CDC. NIP was established to provide federal leadership and services to all local and state public health departments involved in immunization activities (e.g., disease surveillance for vaccine-preventable diseases, development of vaccine information management systems). |
| May 1, 1993 | The costs of influenza vaccine and its administration became a covered benefit under Medicare Part B. |
| March 1993 | Conjugated Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccines (ActHIB by Connaught/MΓ©rieux and OmniHib by SmithKline Beecham) were licensed. |
| March 1993 | A combined Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine and whole cell DTP vaccine (Tetramune by Lederle/Praxis) was licensed. |
| 1993 | The development of immunization registries was promoted at the national level. A national health goal for 2010 was subsequently established to increase the participation in population-based immunization registries to 95%. |
| 1993 | The Vaccines for Children Program was established after passage of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993. Federally-purchased vaccines under this program were made available to children from birth through 18 years of age who met one of the following requirements: Medicaid-enrolled, without health insurance, and American Indian or Alaskan native. Also, children with health insurance that did not cover the costs of immunization were eligible to receive vaccines at a federally-qualified health center or a rural health clinic. All ACIP recommended vaccines received funding, which included new vaccines, new vaccine combinations, and revised recommendations for vaccine use. |
| Dec 10, 1992 | Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus vaccine inactivated (JE-Vax by Research Foundation for Microbial Diseases of Osaka University [BIKEN]) was licensed. JE is the leading cause of viral encephalitis in Asia. WHO acts as a facilitator for the development of new JE vaccines that are safer, require fewer doses, and are more suitable for public health use, in particular, in disease-endemic developing countries. |
| Sept 20, 1992 | Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tripedia by Connaught) was licensed for use as the fourth and fifth doses in the series. |
| Dec 17, 1991 | Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine (Acel-Imune by Lederle) was licensed for use as the fourth and fifth doses in the series. |
| Nov 22, 1991 | ACIP recommendations for routine hepatitis B vaccination for all infants were published in MMWR. |
| August 1991 | The last case of indigenous polio in the Western Hemisphere occurred in a 5-year-old boy, Luis Fermin Tenorio, in Pichanaqui, Peru. |
| Jan 11, 1991 | Recommendations of ACIP for routine Hib vaccination for infants beginning at 2 months of age were published in MMWR. |
| Dec 21, 1990 | An enhanced-potency inactivated poliovirus vaccine (Ipol by Pasteur Méérieux Vaccins et Serums) was licensed. |
| April 13, 1990 | ACIP recommendations for use of any of the three licensed Hib conjugate vaccines (ProHIBIT, HibTITER, and PedvaxHIB) for children as young as 15 months of age were published in MMWR. |
| Dec 20, 1989 | Conjugated Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine (PedvaxHIB by Merck) was licensed. |
| Dec 15, 1989 | A live, oral typhoid vaccine (Ty21a, Vivotif Berna by Swiss Serum Institute) was licensed. |
| Aug 28, 1989 | Recombinant hepatitis B vaccine (Engerix-B by SmithKline Beecham) was licensed. |
| 1989 | Recommendations for routine 2nd doses of measles-containing vaccine were issued by both ACIP and the AAP. During the mid- to late-1980s, a high proportion of reported measles cases were in school-aged children (5-19 years) who had been appropriately vaccinated. These vaccine failures led to national recommendations for a second dose of measles-containing vaccine. |
| Dec 21, 1988 | Conjugated Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine (HibTITER by Wyeth-Lederle) was licensed. |
| 1988 | The Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) was created within the FDA to regulate biological products, including blood, vaccines, tissue, allergenics, and biological therapeutics. |
| 1988 | The World Health Assembly (the ministers of health of all member states of the WHO) passed a resolution to eradicate polio by the year 2000. |
| 1988 | The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP) was established to provide compensation following a vaccine-related adverse event that resulted in injury or death. NVICP was intended to serve as an alternative to civil litigation. The law established a Vaccine Injury Table that provided a list of compensable vaccination events and, for each, an associated time period requirement. |
| Jan 22, 1988 | ACIP recommendations to administer Hib conjugate vaccine to all children at 18 months of age were published in MMWR. |
| Dec 22, 1987 | Protein-conjugated Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine (PRP-D, ProHibit by Connaught) was licensed. |
| July 23, 1986 | Recombinant hepatitis B vaccine (Recombivax HB by Merck) was licensed. Using recombinant DNA technology, Merck scientists developed a hepatitis B surface antigen subunit vaccine. |
| 1986 | Congress created the National Vaccine Program (NVP) to coordinate the vaccine research and development programs of AID, NIH, CDC, the Department of Defense, and FDA. |
| 1986 | The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 was enacted by Congress. The Department of Health and Human Services established the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), co-administered by FDA and CDC, to accept all reports of suspected adverse events, in all age groups, after the administration of any U.S.-licensed vaccine. The Act required healthcare providers and vaccine manufacturers to report to the Department of Health and Human Services specific adverse events following the administration of measles, mumps, rubella, polio, pertussis, diphtheria, and tetanus vaccine and any combinations thereof. |
| Apr 12, 1985 | Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) polysaccharide vaccines (b-CAPSA 1 by Praxis Biologics, Hib-VAX by Connaught, and Hib-IMUNE by Lederle) were licensed. The vaccine was recommended routinely for children at 24 months of age and for children at 15 months of age enrolled in child care facilities. The vaccine was not consistently immunogenic in children <18 months of age. |
| Sept 1, 1984 | The costs of hepatitis B vaccine and its administration became a covered benefit under Medicare Part B. |
| July 1983 | Two enhanced pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines were licensed (Pneumovax 23 by Merck on July 11 and Pnu-Imune 23 by Lederle on July 21). These vaccines included 23 purified capsular polysaccharide antigens of Streptococcus pneumoniae and replaced the 14-valent polysaccharide vaccine licensed in 1977. |
| 1981 | The first hepatitis B viral vaccines, developed by Merck and also by the Pasteur Institute, were licensed. Both had independently developed plasma-based hepatitis B viral vaccines. |
| Nov 23, 1981 | Quadrivalent groups A, C, Y, and W-135 (Menomune A/C/Y/W-135 by Connaught) meningococcal vaccine was licensed. Because this and other polysaccharide meningococcal vaccines were found to induce a relatively poor immune response in children younger than two years and not able to elicit long-term immunologic memory, their use was limited to persons 2 years of age and older. |
| July 1, 1981 | The costs of pneumococcal vaccine and its administration became a covered benefit under Medicare Part B. |
| May 8, 1980 | The World Health Assembly certified the world free of naturally-occurring smallpox. |
| 1980 | Rabies human diploid-cell vaccine (Imovax Rabies by MΓ©rieux and Wyvac by Wyeth) were licensed. |
| 1979 | The RA 27/3 (human diploid fibroblast) strain of rubella vaccine (Meruvax II by Merck) was licensed; all other strains were discontinued. |
| 1979 | The last cases of wild type 1 poliovirus occurred in the U.S. among unvaccinated Amish persons and members of other religious groups who did not accept vaccination. The source of the outbreak was determined to have been brought over to the U.S. from the Netherlands by members of an unvaccinated religious group. |
| Jan 3, 1978 | Yellow fever vaccine (YF-Vax by Connaught) was licensed in the U.S. |
| Jan 3, 1978 | Monovalent group A (Menomune-A by Connaught), group C (Menomune-C by Connaught) meningococcal vaccines, and a bivalent vaccine for both groups A and C (Menomune-A/C by Connaught) were licensed. |
| Nov 21, 1977 | The first pneumococcal vaccine was licensed, containing 14 serotypes (of the 83 known serological groups) that comprised 80% of all bacteremic pneumococcal infections in the U.S. |
| Oct 26, 1977 | The last case of naturally-acquired smallpox occurred in the Merca District of Somalia. |
| 1977 | Joseph A. Califano, Jr., Secretary of the Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare (later Health and Human Services) launched the National Childhood Immunization Initiative with a goal of achieving 90% vaccination levels among all children. |
| 1976 | The age for routine vaccination with MMR vaccine was changed from 12 months to 15 months. |
| Apr 2, 1974 | The first monovalent (group C) meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (Merck) was licensed. |
| 1974 | The Expanded Programme on Immunization was created within WHO, in response to poor immunization levels in developing countries (less than 5% of children in 1974). The following vaccines are used by the Expanded Programme on Immunization: BCG, polio, DTP, measles (often MMR), yellow fever (in endemic countries), and hepatitis B. |
| July 18, 1973 | Measles and mumps virus vaccine, live (M-M-Vax by Merck) was licensed. |
| 1972 | The Division of Biologics Standards was transferred from NIH to FDA and renamed the Bureau of Biologics. It was responsible for the regulation of all biologics, including serums, vaccines, and blood products. |
| Apr 22, 1971 | Combined measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR by Merck) as well as combined measles and rubella vaccine (M-R-Vax by Merck) were licensed; the vaccine was developed by Maurice Hilleman and colleagues at Merck. |
| 1971 | CDC recommended discontinuation of routine vaccination for smallpox in the U.S. following a greatly reduced risk of disease. |
| 1969 | Three rubella virus strains were licensed in the U.S.: HPV-77 strain grown in dog-kidney culture (Rubelogen by Parke-Davis); HPV-77 grown in duck-embryo culture (Meruvax by Merck); and Cendehill strain grown in rabbit-kidney culture (Cendevax by RIT-SKF, and Lirubel and Lirutrin by Dow). |
| 1968 - 1969 | The "Hong Kong" influenza pandemic, caused by an H3N2 influenza virus, resulted in roughly 34,000 deaths in the U.S. |
| 1968 | A second live, further attenuated measles virus vaccine (Attenuvax by Merck, based on the Moraten strain, derived from the Edmonston strain) was licensed. |
| 1967 | The Global Smallpox Eradication Program was launched by WHO. During the first year of the program, 44 countries, 31 of which had endemic smallpox, reported 217,218 cases. |
| Dec 28, 1967 | Mumps virus vaccine live (MumpsVax by Merck) was licensed. The vaccine was developed by Maurice Hilleman who isolated a wild type virus from his daughter, Jeryl Lynn, who was recovering from mumps. It became known as the Jeryl Lynn strain of mumps virus. |
| 1966 | The World Health Assembly called for global smallpox eradication. |
| 1966 | CDC announced the first national measles eradication campaign. Within 2 years, measles incidence had decreased by more than 90% compared with prevaccine-era levels. |
| 1966 | The rubella virus was attenuated by Paul Parkman and Harry Meyer, Jr. |
| 1965 | Bifurcated needle for smallpox vaccine introduced |
| 1965 | Live, further attenuated measles virus vaccine (Lirugen by Pitman Moore-Dow based on the Schwarz strain, derived from the Edmonston strain) was licensed in the U.S. The recommended age for routine administration was changed from 9 to 12 months of age. |
| 1964 | A rubella epidemic swept the U.S. resulting in 12.5 million cases of rubella infection, an estimated 20,000 newborns with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), and excess fetal and neonatal deaths in the thousands. |
| 1964 | The Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (ACIP) to the U.S. Public Health Service was formed to review the recommended childhood immunization schedule and note changes in manufacturers' vaccine formulations, revise recommendations for the use of licensed vaccines, and make recommendations for newly licensed vaccines. |
| June 25, 1963 | Trivalent oral polio vaccine was licensed. The vaccine development began in 1957 by Albert Sabin to improve upon the killed Salk vaccine. |
| 1963 | The Federal Immunization Grant Program was established. The grants, authorized under section 317 of the Public Health Service Act, were made to states to provide funds to purchase vaccines and to support basic functions of an immunization program. The only vaccines available at the time were DTP, polio, and smallpox. |
| Mar 21, 1963 | The first live virus measles vaccine (Rubeovax by Merck) was licensed. Other live virus measles vaccines were eventually licensed (M-Vac by Lederle, Pfizer-vax Measles-L by Pfizer, and generic vaccines by Lilly, Parke Davis, and Philips Roxane). |
| 1963 | Inactivated measles vaccine (Pfizer-vax Measles-K by Pfizer and a generic vaccine by Lilly) were licensed in the U.S. These vaccines were eventually withdrawn from the U.S. market in 1967. |
| 1962 | President John F. Kennedy signed the the Vaccination Assistance Act into law. It allowed the CDC to support mass immunization campaigns and to initiate maintenance programs. |
| Mar 27, 1962 | Oral polio vaccine type 3 was licensed in the U.S., as well as the trivalent product. |
| 1961 | Oral polio vaccine types 1 and 2, developed by Dr. Albert Sabin and grown in monkey kidney cell culture, were licensed for use in the U.S. |
| 1957 - 1958 | The "Asian" influenza pandemic, caused by an H2N2 influenza virus, resulted in an estimated 70,000 deaths in the U.S. alone. |
| 1955 | The Polio Vaccination Assistance Act was enacted by Congress, the first federal involvement in immunization activities. It allowed Congress to appropriate funds to the Communicable Disease Center (later the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) to help states and local communities acquire and administer vaccine. |
| 1955 | The Cutter polio vaccine incident began on April 25, 1955, when polio was reported in a vaccine recipient. One day later, five more cases were reported. All cases had received vaccine produced by Cutter Laboratories. Polio was reported in 94 vaccinees and in 166 close contacts of vaccinees. On April 27, the Laboratory of Biologics Control requested that Cutter Laboratories recall all vaccine and the company did so immediately. On May 7, the Surgeon General recommended that all polio vaccinations be suspended pending inspection of each manufacturing facility and thorough review of the procedures for testing vaccine safety. The investigation found that live polio virus had survived in two batches of vaccine produced by Cutter Laboratories. In 1955, as a result of the Cutter Incident, the Laboratory of Biologics Control was raised to division status within NIH, to strengthen and expand its biologics control function. Large-scale polio vaccinations resumed in the fall of 1955. |
| Apr 12, 1955 | The first polio vaccine was licensed -- an inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) pioneered by Dr. Jonas Salk. |
| 1954 | The Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to John Enders, Thomas Weller, and Fredrick Robbins for their discovery of the ability of poliomyelitis viruses to grow in tissue cultures. |
| 1954 | John Enders and Thomas Peebles isolated the measles virus in cell culture. |
| 1953 | Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids (adult formulation) was first licensed in the U.S., after the concentration of diphtheria toxoid was reduced. |
| May 22, 1953 | Yellow fever vaccine (Merrell National Labs) was first licensed in the U.S. |
| July 16, 1952 | Heat-phenol inactivated typhoid vaccine by Wyeth was licensed. |
| 1952 | The worst recorded polio epidemic in U.S. history occurred with 57,628 reported cases |
| 1949 | Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and pertussis (DTP) was licensed. |
| 1949 | The last case of smallpox in the U.S. was reported; however, it took another two decades before the disease was eradicated globally. |
| 1947 | Combination diphtheria and tetanus toxoids for pediatric use was first licensed in the U.S. |
| 1945 | Inactivated influenza vaccine was first licensed in the U.S. |
| 1945 | K Habel and John Enders isolated the mumps virus. |
| 1944 | The Public Health Services Act of 1944 was enacted, consolidating all legislation affecting the functions of the Public Health Service. |
| 1943 | Penicillin first became mass-produced. This medical miracle, rediscovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928, was capable of attacking many types of disease-causing bacteria. It played a vital role in treating infected wounds during World War II. |
| 1942 | Influenza A/B vaccine was introduced to the Armed Forces Epidemiological Board. The influenza vaccine was licensed in 1945 and, following the war, was also used for civilians. |
| 1942 | Hepatitis A and B viruses were first differentiated. |
| 1938 | President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a victim of polio, founded the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, later known as the March of Dimes. |
| 1937 | An adsorbed form of tetanus toxoid was first licensed in the U.S. |
| 1937 | The Division of Biologics Control was formed within the National Institute of Health. Much later, in 1972, the Division was transferred to the FDA. |
| 1935 | A live yellow fever vaccine (17D) was first licensed. The development of the chorioallantoic membrane for culturing viruses had led to its development. |
| 1930 | The Hygienic Laboratory changed its name to the National Institute (singular) of Health and authorized the establishment of fellowships for biological and medical research. |
| 1930 | Cell culture was developed and shown to be able to grow virus, thus paving the way for the subsequent production of viral vaccines. |
| 1928 | The first iron lung was used to preserve breathing function in patients with acute polio. |
| 1927 | Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine was first used in newborns, having been developed by Albert Calmette and Camille Guéérin in 1921. BCG (live-attenuated Mycobacterium bovis BCG) represented the only vaccine against tuberculosis. It has become the most widely administered of all vaccines in the WHO Expanded Programme for Immunization, but has been estimated to prevent only 5% of all potentially vaccine-preventable deaths due to tuberculosis. |
| 1923 | Diphtheria toxoid was licensed; prepared from the inactivated bacterial toxin that has lost its toxicity but retains its antitoxin producing properties. In 1924, Gaston Ramon discovered diphtheria toxoid. Along with the discovery of antitoxins, Ramon uncovered the role of adjuvant substances of immunity. |
| 1918 | The "Spanish flu" influenza pandemic was responsible for 25-50 million deaths worldwide and more than one-half million in the U.S. This virus was unusual because it spread so quickly, was so deadly, and exacted its worse toll among the young and healthy. |
| 1915 | Pertussis vaccine, a suspension of inactivated Bordetella pertussis cells, was licensed. Inactivated vaccines were prepared with a microorganism or virus that had been killed, usually with a chemical such as formaldehyde. |
| 1914 | Typhoid vaccine was first licensed in the U.S. |
| 1914 | Rabies vaccine was first licensed in the U.S. |
| 1914 | Tetanus toxoid was introduced following the development of an effective therapeutic serum against tetanus by Emil Von Behring and Shibasaburo Kitasato. |
| 1908 | The first county health departments in the U.S. were formed. |
| 1906 | The Pure Food and Drugs Act was formed, prohibiting interstate commerce in misbranded and adulterated foods, drinks, and drugs. |
| April 5, 1902 | The Biologics Control Act was formed. It included the regulation of vaccine and antitoxin producers and required both licensing and inspections of manufacturers. The standards imposed by the 1902 Act resulted in bankruptcy for one-third of the companies manufacturing antitoxins and vaccines while benefiting the manufacturers already in compliance. Ten firms held licenses with the Laboratory of Hygiene following the 1902 Act. |
| 1901 | In St. Louis, 13 children died of tetanus-contaminated diphtheria antitoxin. In the autumn of 1901, nine children in Camden, New Jersey, died from tainted smallpox vaccine. Efforts to ensure the purity of biological treatments by government oversight followed with the Biologics Control Act of 1902. |
| 1901 | The first Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine was awarded to Emil von Behring for his work on the development of a diphtheria antitoxin (later known as antiserum). |
| 1897 | Plague vaccine was introduced, following the preparation of anti-plague horse serum at the Pasteur Institute by Alexandre Yersin. After demonstrating protection from disease in immunized animals, Yersin went to China with the vaccine to protect humans during a plague epidemic. |
| 1896 | Cholera and typhoid vaccines were first developed. |
| 1893 | City and state public health departments began mass production of diphtheria antitoxin, following its introduction in European laboratories. |
| 1888 | The Pasteur Institute was established as a rabies treatment center as well as an infectious diseases research and training institute. |
| 1888 | The diphtheria toxin was discovered by Emile Roux. Passive serum therapies were developed through the scientific contributions of many, including Emil Von Behring who developed the first effective therapeutic serum against diphtheria and Paul Ehrlich who developed enrichment and standardization protocol, which allowed for an exact determination of quality of the diphtheria antitoxins. |
| 1887 | Joseph Kinyoun established one of the country's first bacteriological laboratories in the Marine Health Service Hospital on Staten Island, NY. He was director of the Laboratory of Hygiene, which moved to Washington, D.C., in 1891. Kinyoun brought the latest techniques such as the procedure for preparing diphtheria antitoxin back from his visits to Europe. |
| 1885 | Louis Pasteur first used rabies vaccine in humans. |
| 1884 | The first live attenuated viral vaccine (rabies) was developed by Louis Pasteur, using dessicated brain tissue inactivated with formaldehyde. |
| 1882 | Robert Koch identified the tubercle bacillus as the cause of tuberculosis, subsequently called Koch's bacillus. |
| 1881 | Louis Pasteur and George Miller Sternberg almost simultaneously isolated and grew the pneumococcus organism. |
| 1879 | Louis Pasteur created the first live attenuated bacterial vaccine (chicken cholera) |
| 1877 | Louis Pasteur proposed The Germ Theory of Disease. |
| 1798 | Edward Jenner published his work on the development of a vaccination that would protect against smallpox. Two years earlier, in 1796, he had first speculated that protection from smallpox disease could be obtained through inoculation with a related virus, vaccinia or cowpox. He tested his theory by inoculating eight-year-old James Phipps with cowpox pustule liquid recovered from the hand of a milkmaid, Sarah Nelmes. |
| 1798 | The Marine Health Service was established in 1798 as the nation's first public health agency. It provided hospital care for merchant seamen and protected port cities against diseases such as smallpox, cholera, and yellow fever. |
| 1721 | Variolation was introduced to Great Britain. |
| 1100s | The variolation technique was developed, involving the inoculation of children and adults with dried scab material recovered from smallpox patients. Variations of variolation have been noted in Turkey, Africa, China, and Europe. |
| 400 BC | Hippocrates described mumps, diphtheria, epidemic jaundice, and other conditions |
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