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….
Simian virus 40 accidentally administered to humans through contaminated Poliovirus vaccines
From 1955 through early 1963, millions of people were accidentally exposed to simian virus 40 (SV40) as a…
Biology | Diagnostics | Life Science History | NIH | Polio | Vaccine
The Division of Biologics Control became an independent entity within the National Institutes of Health
In 1955, the Division of Biologics Control (DBS) became an independent entity within the National Institutes of Health…
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…
Canada contributed to the safe cultivation of the poliovirus for polio vaccine
In 1955, Canada contributed to the safe cultivation of the poliovirus, using Medium 199, and an incubation process…
The largest controlled Polio vaccine field trial in the history of medicine got under way
On Apr. 26, 1954, the largest controlled Polio vaccine field trial in the history of medicine got under…
The Vaccine Advisory Committee recommended large-scale national trial of Salk’s vaccine
On Apr. 25, 1954, the Vaccine Advisory Committee of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, now known as…
Dr. Jonas Salkﾒs team began giving inoculations of a commercially prepared vaccine
On Mar. 22, 1954, Dr. Jonas Salkﾒs team began giving inoculations of a commercially prepared vaccine to some…
Polio vaccine developed by Dr. Jonas Salk first used in mass inoculation
On Feb. 23, 1954, the first mass inoculation of the new Polio vaccine, developed by Dr. Jonas Salk…
elementary students from five suburban schools were the first to be inoculated with the new Salk Polio vaccine
In February 1954, first-, second- and third-grade students from five suburban schools were the first to be inoculated…
John Enders, Thomas Weller, and Frederick Robbins were awarded Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
In 1954, John Franklin Enders and Thomas C. Peebles isolated measles virus from an 11-year-old boy, David Edmonston….
John Enders and Thomas Peebles isolated the measles virus in cell culture
In 1954, John Enders, known as “the Father of Modern Vaccines” and Thomas Peebles isolated the measles virus…
Dr. Thomas Francis, Jr, University of Michigan, directed field trials of Salk vaccine
In 1954, Dr. Thomas Francis, Jr., University of Michigan, directed field trials of Salk vaccine sponsored by NFIP….
Dr. Jonas Salk and associates develop a potentially safe injectable vaccine against polio
In 1954, Dr. Jonas Salk and associates develop a potentially safe injectable vaccine against polio given to nearly…
Yellow fever vaccine (Merrell National Labs) was first licensed in the US
On May 22, 1953, thre yellow fever vaccine (Merrell National Labs) was first licensed in the U.S.
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…