Important Changes in Vaccine Research Over the Years

The journey of developing vaccines has been full of important breakthroughs that changed public health for the better. Here are some key moments in vaccine history:

1. The Start of Vaccination (1796)

• Edward Jenner's Experiment: In 1796, Edward Jenner, a doctor from England, started the practice of vaccination. He found out that giving people cowpox, a less harmful virus, could protect them from smallpox. This was the first-ever use of vaccination.
• Impact: Smallpox was a deadly disease that led to around 300 million deaths every century before it was eliminated. Jenner's vaccine caused a big drop in smallpox cases.

2. Rabies Vaccine and Pasteur's Work (1879-1885)

• Louis Pasteur's Discoveries: In 1885, Pasteur created a vaccine for rabies by isolating the virus. He showed that weakened germs could help protect against disease.
• Statistics: Thanks to the rabies vaccine, the number of deaths in people exposed to rabies went from almost 100% to about 1% for those who received treatment.

3. The DTP Vaccine (1940s)

• Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis: In the 1940s, a combined vaccine for diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis was created by several scientists, including an American who worked on diphtheria.
• Impact: Before this vaccine, diphtheria caused over 15,000 deaths each year in the U.S. After vaccination started, cases dropped by 90%.

4. The Polio Vaccine (1955)

• Jonas Salk's Polio Vaccine: After much research, Salk created the first polio vaccine in 1955. It quickly became part of the immunization programs in the country.
• Statistics: In the U.S., polio cases went from more than 21,000 in 1952 to less than 1,000 by 1962 after many people got vaccinated.

5. The MMR Vaccine (1971)

• Measles, Mumps, Rubella: The MMR vaccine was approved in 1971 and combined three important vaccines into one shot. This made it easier to protect kids from these diseases.
• Effectiveness: Since the MMR vaccine’s introduction, measles has dropped by over 99% in the U.S. Cases of rubella also fell significantly, reducing instances of congenital rubella syndrome from about 20,000 each year to fewer than 350.

6. The HPV Vaccine (2006)

• Gardasil: The HPV vaccine became available in 2006. It protects against types of the virus that can lead to cervical cancer.
• Impact: Thanks to vaccination, cervical cancer rates have greatly decreased. Early studies showed about an 88% drop in HPV infections among young women.

7. mRNA Vaccine Technology (2020)

• COVID-19 Vaccines: The new mRNA technology was a major step forward, allowing for the fast development of effective COVID-19 vaccines by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.
• Statistics: In less than a year after the outbreak, over 1.5 billion doses were given out worldwide, leading to fewer COVID-19 cases and deaths. The vaccines worked about 95% of the time in preventing the disease.

Conclusion

The progress of vaccines, from Jenner's work with cowpox to today's advanced mRNA technology, shows a remarkable journey of innovation in public health. Vaccines have greatly reduced sickness and death from infectious diseases throughout history. By 2021, the World Health Organization reported that vaccination efforts were saving over 2 to 3 million lives each year around the world. This shows how important vaccines are in keeping people healthy.