History of Vaccines

Vaccine Milestones
1796	Edward Jenner develops smallpox vaccine
1885	Pasteur develops rabies vaccine
1955	Injectable polio vaccine introduced
1962	Oral polio vaccine introduced
1967	Smallpox eradication program started
1979	Smallpox eradicated from the world
1986	First recombinant human vaccine
1994	Last case of polio in the Americas
1998	Infant immunisation rate ~80%
1999	Eradication of polio and measles in sight

Evolution of Vaccine Development

English physician Edward Jenner's observation that milkmaids stricken with a disease called cowpox were rarely victims of smallpox prompted him to devise the first vaccine 200 years ago. By 1980, with the use of a modern day vaccine, smallpox was totally eradicated apart from certain laboratory stocks.

Since Jenner's time, advances in the science of virology, bacteriology and immunology have led to an enhanced understanding of how the human body defends itself against invading microorganisms. The development of vaccine against more than 20 infectious diseases has revolutionised our approach to public health. Since 1980, at least 15 new or improved vaccines have become available. Today, tremendous advances in science enable scientists to devise new approaches to developing vaccines against diseases that continue to plague the world's population such as Malaria, Epstein-Barr Virus and Cytomegalovirus.

Visit the Edward Jenner museum to find out more.