Vaccines have forever been humanity’s strong weapon against the spread of many diseases. While we are battling COVID-19, vaccine research and development have become a common subject of discussion. Thanks to these vaccines, we have successfully defeated many diseases since the first one for smallpox rolled out in 1896. Here’s a roundup of vaccines that have changed humanity forever. 

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Smallpox

English doctor Edward Jenner created the vaccine for smallpox after he observed that milkmaids, who had recovered from cowpox, were protected from smallpox. So, he devised an antibody formula against it that has so far saved almost 530 million lives. 

Rabies

Louis Pasteur developed the vaccine for rabies in 1885. Rabies is a viral infection caused by a dog or bat bite which inflames the brain and leads to spinal cord impairment. It is mostly fatal once it reaches this stage. 

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Tetanus

A team of German scientists led by Emil von Behring created the first vaccine against Tetanus in 1890. In 1924, the first tetanus toxoid was discovered and produced. Tetanus is caused by bacteria that causes muscle contractions after it invades the body and produces poison inside. 

Typhoid

British pathologist Amroth Wright created the vaccine for Typhoid in 1896. Typhoid is a bacterial infection that can sometimes be fatal. Symptoms include high fever, diarrhoea, and vomiting.

Whooping cough

The combined vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough was rolled out in 1948. Whooping cough is a respiratory tract infection that causes an individual to wheeze while they cough intensely. 

Before the vaccine was created by Pearl Kendrick and Grace Eldering, 6,000 kids died annually due to whooping cough.

Flu

Considered a common viral infection, the flu is largely seasonal and can be fatal among at-risk groups, similar to Covid-19. It attacks the lungs, throat and the nose with symptoms ranging from fever, chills, cough to headaches. 

In partnership with US Army, Thomas Francis, Jr and and Jonas Salk served developed the first inactivated flu vaccine in the 1940s.

Polio

Polio is an infectious disease caused by poliovirus and leads to paralysis. Dirty food and water are the carriers of this infection. The first vaccine against polio was developed by Dr Jonas Salk in 1955. 

Later, Dr Albert Sabin rolled out an oral polio vaccine which helped save millions across the world.

Chickenpox

The vaccine against chickenpox was created by Michiaki Takahashi.it was licensed for general use in Japan and Korea in 1988 and 1995 in the US. The disease is caused by the varicella-zoster virus and causes itchy rashes with blisters.

COVID-19

While creating a vaccine for COVID-19 was a battle in itself, we have finally been able to witness the rollout of five to six vaccines.

The first vaccine was created by Moscow’s Gamaleya Research Institute in collaboration with Russia’s defence ministry and called Sputnik V.