Baruch Samuel Blumberg was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine
In 1976, Baruch Samuel Blumberg from the Institute for Cancer Research in Philadelphia was awarded the Nobel Prize…
Biology | Infectious Disease | Life Science History | Polio | Vaccine | WHO
The World Health Assembly created the Expanded Programme on Immunization to bring vaccines to the world’s children
In 1975, The World Health Assembly passed a resolution to create the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) to…
Lyme Disease was identified and named
In 1975, Lyme Disease was identified and named at Yale University. The spirochete that causes Lyme disease was…
The CDC established the vessel sanitation program alongside the cruise ship industry
In 1975, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established the vessel sanitation program alongside the…
The first monovalent (group C) meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (Merck) was licensed
On Apr. 2, 1974, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensed the first monovalent (group C) meningococcal…
The U.S., the Soviet Union and 70 other nations signed an agreement banning biological warfare
On Apr. 10, 1972, the United States., the Soviet Union and 70 other nations sign an agreement that…
Toxoplasma gondii in cats’ fecal stages identified as coccidian oocysts
On Feb. 6, 1970, a report identified a coccidian parasite of cats with all non-feline warm blooded animals…
first human case of mpox Reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo
In 1970, the first human case of mpox was reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)…
The CDC opened its first biological containment lab
In 1969, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) opened its first permanent high-containment laboratory (HCL)…
A second live, further attenuated measles virus vaccine was licensed
On Nov. 26, 1968, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensed a second live, further attenuated measles…
Mumps virus vaccine live (MumpsVax by Merck) was licensed
On Dec. 28, 1967, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Mercks mumps virus vaccine live (MumpsVax)….
The Serum Institute of India was founded
On Jun. 12, 1966, the Serum Institute of India was founded in 1966 by Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla with…
Agriculture | Biotechnology | Diagnostics | Infectious Disease | Life Science News | USDA | Veterinary
USDA eradicated New World screwworm from the United States
In 1966, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) eradicated New World screwworm (NWS) from the United States using sterile…
A virus (the Epstein-Barr virus) was linked to human cancer (Burkitt lymphoma) for the first time
In 1964, a new herpesvirus, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), was discovered in cultured tumor cells derived from a Burkitt…
Trivalent oral polio vaccine was licensed
On Jun. 25, 1963, the Trivalent oral polio vaccine was licensed. The vaccine development began in 1957 by…
U.S. Congress established the Immunization Grant Program
In 1963, the U.S. Congress established the Immunization Grant Program; polio incidence plummeted to only 396 reported cases…
Oral polio vaccine type 3 and trivalent product licensed in the U.S.
On Mar. 27, 1962, the Sabin oral polio vaccine (OPV) type 3 MOPV was licensed in the U.S.,…
Oral polio vaccine types 1 and 2 was developed by Dr. Albert Sabin
In 1962, oral polio vaccine types 1 and 2, developed by Dr. Albert Sabin and grown in monkey…
mpox was first discovered
In 1958, mpox (MPVX) was first discovered when two nonfatal outbreaks of a pox-like disease were reported in…
The CDC responded to cholera and smallpox epidemics in what is now Bangladesh
In 1958, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent a team of EIS officers to…
New H2N2 flu virus emergedﾠ to trigger a pandemic
In Feb. 1957, a new influenza A (H2N2) virus emerged in East Asia, triggering a pandemic (“Asian Flu”)….
Dr. Jonas Salk received gold medal from President Dwight Eisenhower, designating him “a benefactor of mankind”
On Jan. 27, 1956, Dr. Jonas Salk, developer of the Polio vaccine released in 1955, received a special…
Diagnostics | Disease | Infectious Disease | Influenza | Life Science History | Non-Profit Research | Therapeutics
Children’s Orthopedic Hospital opened the Northwest’s first Poison Control Center
On Jan. 1, 1956, Children’s Orthopedic Hospital opened the Northwest’s first Poison Control Center to advise callers on…
FDA hired temporary investigators to prevent polio vaccine black market
On Aug. 17, 1955, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the hiring of 48 temporary investigators…
Officials discover polio cases after vaccine produced by Cutter Laboratories accidently contained live virus
On Apr. 26, 1955, Officials first noticed an increase in reported polio cases in California. Soon it was…
Salk polio vaccine was announced
On Apr. 12, 1955, the polio vaccine developed by Dr. Jonas Salk at the University of Pittsburgh was…
Convocation held at the University of Michigan proclaimed “The Vaccine Works!”
On Apr. 12, 1955, a convocation was held at the University of Michigan (UM), where Dr. Thomas Francis…
The Cutter Incident, a production error, caused some polio vaccine to be tainted with live polio virus
In April 1955, Cutter Laboratories, located in Berkeley, California and one of several companies licensed by the U.S….
The Polio Vaccination Assistance Act was enacted by U.S. Congress
In 1955, the Polio Vaccination Assistance Act was enacted by the U.S. Congress, the first federal involvement in…
CDC established the Polio Surveillanceﾠ Program
On Apr. 28, 1955, The National Poliomyelitis Surveillance Program was established by the Surgeon General of the Public…