Dr. Jonas Salk initiated the first community-based pilot trial of the polio vaccine in a Pittsburgh suburb
On May 16, 1953, Dr. Jonas Salk initiated the first community-based pilot trial of the Polio vaccine in…
Dr. Jonas Salk reported results of the first 161 subjects inoculated with Polio vaccine
On Mar. 28, 1953, Dr. Jonas Salk and his team published a landmark article in the Journal of…
Biology | Diagnostics | Disease | Life Science History | Medicine | Non-Profit Research | Polio | Therapeutics | Vaccine
The Salk Institute for Biological Studies was founded in La Jolla, California
In 1953, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies was founded in La Jolla, California. For more than a…
Heat-phenol inactivated typhoid vaccine by Wyeth was licensed
On Jul. 16, 1952, a heat-phenol inactivated typhoid vaccine by Wyeth was licensed by the U.S. Food and…
Dr. Jonas Salk began taking blood samples from recently paralyzed polio patients to determine antibody types
On Jun. 12, 1952, Dr. Jonas Salk went to the D. T. Watson Home for Crippled Children (now…
Dr. William Hammon enrolled 15,868 children in Sioux City, Iowa for Polio vaccine trial
In Jun. and Jul. of 1952, Dr. William Hammon continued with his gamma globulin Polio vaccine field trials…
FDA | Life Science History | Polio | Vaccine
Dr. William Hammon conducted the first placebo-controlled field trial of gamma globulin in Provo, Utah
In September 1952, Dr. William Hammon conducted the first placebo-controlled field trial of gamma globulin that, in just…
The summer of 1952 recorded 57,628 cases, the worst polio epidemic in U.S. history
In 1952, the summer of 1952 recorded 57,628 cases, the worst polio epidemic in U.S. history. This added…
The Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System was created by the WHO
In 1952, the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) was created by World Health Organization (WHO) to…
Monkey kidney tissue to be the most fertile environment for Polio virus growth
In 1952, Dr. Jonas Salk and his team found monkey kidney tissue to be the most fertile environment…
Biotechnology | COVID-19 | Diagnostics | Life Science History | NIH | Non-Profit Research | Polio | Vaccine
Henrietta Lacks died from cervical cancer, and HeLa cell line was born
On Feb. 8, 1951, Henrietta Lacks, a tobacco farmer from Virginia died from cervical cancer, and a scientist…
Lewis L. Coriell appointed field director for the Polio Prevention Study
In 1951, Lewis L. Coriell whose history in polio research began during his residency at Children’s Hospital of…
Dr. Jonas Salk and his team began using Enders’ methods to grow poliovirus
In 1951, Dr. Jonas Salk and his team began using Dr. John F. Enders’ methods to grow poliovirus,…
Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and pertussis (DTP) was licensed
On May 4, 1949, the diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and pertussis (DTP) vaccine was licensed. A greater than…
John Enders, Thomas Weller and Frederick Robbins grew poliovirus in culture, paving the way for polio vaccines
In 1949, at Harvard, John F. Enders, Ph.D., a Yale College graduate, Frederick C. Robbins, M.D., and Thomas…
Dr. Jonas Salk began classifying more than 100 strains of poliovirus
In 1949, Dr. Jonas Salk, with grants from the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, the Pitt team and…
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The World Health Organization was founded in Geneva
On Apr. 7, 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) was founded and is today the United Nations agency…
World Health Organization Influenza Centre was established in London
In 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) Influenza Centre was established at the National Institute for Medical Research…
The Rocky Mountain Laboratory became became part of National Microbiological Institute
In 1948, the National Institute of Health was reorganized into the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Rocky…
Biology | Influenza | Life Science History | Polio | Vaccine
Dr. Isabel M. Morgan demonstrated that chemically inactivated poliovirus would induce immunity
In 1948, Dr. Isabel M. Morgan led a team that successfully inoculated monkeys with a killed-virurs vaccine. From…
Investigators determined antigenic changes rendered existing flu vaccines ineffective
In 1947, during the seasonal flu epidemic, investigators determined that changes in the antigenic composition of circulating influenza…
Dr. Jonas Salk was recruited to the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
In 1947, Dr. Jonas Salk was recruited from the University of Michigan by Dr. William S. McEllroy, dean…
An outbreak of influenza occurred in Japan and Korea in American troops
In late 1946, an outbreak of influenza occurred in Japan and Korea in American troops. It spread in…
Inactivated influenza vaccine was first licensed in the U.S.
In 1945, the inactivated influenza vaccine was first licensed in the U.S. The first vaccine was an inactivated,…
Karl Habel and John Enders isolated the mumps virus
In 1945, Karl Habel and John Enders isolated the mumps virus. Habel and Enders had successfully cultivated the…
Use of cell cultures for virus growth was discovered
In 1944, the use of cell cultures for virus growth was discovered. This allowed viruses to be cultured…
Margaret Pittman began work on the intracerebral challenge potency assay for pertussis vaccine
In 1943, Margaret Pittman began work on the intracerebral challenge potency assay for pertussis vaccine. The standardization effected…
Dr. Jonas Salk arrived at the University of Michigan School of Public Health
In 1942, Dr. Jonas Salk arrived at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Techniques earned there…
Connaught Laboratories developed the first combined vaccines for diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus
In 1941, Connaught Laboratories at the University of Toronto developed the first combined vaccines for diphtheria, pertussis, and…
Karl Habel produced an improved, killed rabies vaccine that eliminated foreign brain tissue caused paralysis
On Sept. 6, 1940, Karl Habel produced an improved, killed rabies vaccine that eliminated foreign brain tissue that…