WHO declared world at the start of 2009 influenza pandemic
On Jun. 11, 2009, the Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General World Health Organization (WHO), declared the world was at…
HHS directed $1 billion toward development of vaccine for novel influenza A (H1N1)
On May 22, 2009, the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) directed $1 billion toward development…
A novel influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 virus was detected first in the U.S. before spreading worldwide
On Apr. 15, 2009, a novel influenza A virus (then referred to as ‘swine origin influenza A virus’)…
Biotechnology | CDC | Diagnostics | Influenza | NIH | Therapeutics
CDC began a complex and multi-faceted response to the H1N1 pandemic
On Apr. 15, 2009, infection with the new influenza A virus (then referred to as ‘swine origin influenza…
Biotechnology | COVID-19 | Diagnostics | Disease | Influenza | Plague | Therapeutics | Vaccine
Fort Knox prepared for pandemic outbreak scenarios
On Jun. 7, 2007, years before the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe, a group of about 100…
CDC published Interim Pre-pandemic Planning Guidance Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Mitigation in the U.S.
On Feb. 1, 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its long-awaited disease containment strategy…
Livermore Lab developed pathogen signatures for bioterrorist attack Identification
In 2007, researchers at Livermore National Laboratory announced they had developed candidate signatures for pathogens that might be…
Yale New Haven Hospital breaks ground on $838 million, 505,000 square foot Neurosciences Center
On Aug. 31, 2022, Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH) broke ground on the $838 million, 505,000 square foot…
The genome of the 1918 H1N1 pandemic influenza virus was sequenced
On Oct. 7, 2005, Jeffery Taubenberger, AH Reid, AE Krafft, Karen Bijwaard and Thomas Fanning published a report…
Biotechnology | COVID-19 | Diagnostics | Genomics | Infectious Disease | Non-Profit Research | Therapeutics | Vaccine
Michael Smith Genome Science Centre sequenced the SARS genome
On Apr. 14, 2003, researchers at Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Science Centre in Vancouver announced they had sequenced…
Biotechnology | CDC | COVID-19 | Diagnostics | Infectious Disease | Therapeutics | WHO
SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) was first discovered in Asia
On Mar. 6, 2003, the Singapore Ministry of Health (MOH) and the World Health Organization (WHO), announced they…
The CDC launched the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile for emergency health security
In 1999, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile, now the…
The CDC’s Laboratory Response Network was established
In 1999, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established the Laboratory Response Network (LRN). The…
Biotechnology | CDC | Diagnostics | Infectious Disease | Therapeutics | Vaccine | WHO
The CDC established a World Health Organization (WHO) collaborating center for disaster preparedness
In 1989, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established a World Health Organization (WHO) collaborating…
Biotechnology | CDC | Infectious Disease | Polio | U.S. Congress | Vaccine
The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 was enacted by Congress
In 1986, the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act was enacted by Congress. The Department of Health and Human…
Virologist Flossie Wong-Staal became the first person to clone HIV, which led to the development of HIV detection blood tests
In 1985, virologist Flossie Wong-Staal became the first person to clone HIV, which led to the development of…
Merck began to commercialize Ivermectin as veterinary anti-parasitic drug
In 1981, Merck began commercialize ivermectin as a broad-spectrum veterinary anti-parasitic drug that was originally developed to treat…
The U.S., the Soviet Union and 70 other nations signed an agreement banning biological warfare
On Apr. 10, 1972, the United States, the Soviet Union and 70 other nations signed an agreement that…
President Richard Nixon renounced the use of lethal biological agents and weapons
On Nov. 25, 1969, President Richard Nixon issued his “Statement on Chemical and Biological Defense Policies and Programs”…
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…
The etiology of ‘swine influenza’ was established
In 1931, Rockefeller Institute investigator Richard Shope published the first of three landmark papers that established the etiology…
The Stanley Cup playoffs between the Montreal Canadians and the Seattle Metropolitans cancelled by Spanish flu
On Apr. 1, 1919, the Stanley Cup playoffs between the Montreal Canadians and the Seattle Metropolitans ended tied…
Denver slowly returned to normal after its flu epidemic, and schools reopened
On Jan. 2, 1919, Denver slowly returned to normal after its flu epidemic, and schools reopened. School teachers…
Washington, DC one of the hardest-hit in the nation with 1918-1919 influenza pandemic
In 1919, Washington, D.C. suffered spikes in influenza cases throughout the remainder of 1918, and into early February…
The University of Oregon began offering courses in nursing
In 1919, the University of Oregon in Eugene introduced the state’s first professional courses in nursing. The courses…
By the end of the influenza epidemic, Philadelphia had suffered 748 deaths per 100,000 people
In 1919, by the end of the influenza epidemic, Philadelphia had suffered a terrible cost of 748 deaths…
Influenza cases dwindled through the winter of 1918, yet persisted into April 1919
In 1919, influenza cases dwindled through the winter of 1918, yet persisted into April 1919 sporadically. About 9…
Kansas City schools reopened as the influenza epidemic waned
On Dec. 30, 1918, Kansas City schools reopened as the influenza epidemic waned. The New Year came and…
Nebraska Board of Health made influenza a mandatory quarantine disease
On Dec. 24, 1918, on Christmas Eve, with the epidemic across Nebraska still raging, the state Board of…
The Cincinnati Board of Health removed ban prohibiting children from entering public places during influenza pandemic
On Dec. 23, 1918, the Cincinnati Board of Health removed its ban prohibiting children from entering public places….