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…
FDA | Life Science History | NIH | Polio | U.S. Congress
HEW Secretary Oveta Culp Hobby appointed a committee of 14 citizens to study the adequacy of FDA’s facilities and programs
In 1955, Oveta Culp Hobby, the first Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) appointed a committee of…
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…
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…
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….
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…
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…
Dr. William Hammon published first evidence that antibodies to polio could prevent disease
In Oct. 1952, Dr. William McDowall Hammon of the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health published…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
Lansing strain of poliomyelitis adapted for polio studies
On Jun. 14, 1940, Charles Armstrong and V. H. Haas published Immunity to the Lansing Strain of Poliomyelitis…
Biochemist and bacteriologist Ruby Hirose was recognized by the American Chemical Society for accomplishments in chemistry
In 1940, biochemist and bacteriologist Ruby Hirose was recognized by the American Chemical Society for accomplishments in chemistry….