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Smallpox in Europe
In 1721, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu brought smallpox inoculation to Europe, by asking that her two daughters be inoculated against smallpox as she had observed practice in Turkey. -
Benjamin Jesty Breakthrough
In 1774, Benjamin Jesty makes a breakthrough. Testing his hypothesis that infection with cowpox – a bovine virus which can spread to humans – could protect a person from smallpox -
First Vaccine Created
English physician Edward Jenner expands on this discovery and inoculates 8-year-old James Phipps with matter collected from a cowpox sore on the hand of a milkmaid. Despite suffering a local reaction and feeling unwell for several days, Phipps made a full recovery. -
First Bacterial Vaccine
Louis Pasteur created the first live attenuated bacterial vaccine -
Spanish Flu Pandemic
The Spanish Flu pandemic kills an estimated 20–50 million people worldwide -
Yellow fever vaccine created
The vaccine is approved in 1938 and over a million people have receive it that year. Theiler goes on to be awarded the Nobel Prize. -
Spanish Flu vaccine
The first influenza vaccine is approved for military use, followed in 1946 by an approval for civilian use. The research is led by doctors Thomas Francis Jr and Jonas Salk, who both go on to be closely associated with the polio vaccine. -
Smallpox vaccine eliminated
In 1967, the World Health Organization announces the Intensified Smallpox Eradication Programme, which aims to eradicate smallpox in more than 30 countries through surveillance and vaccination. -
3 in 1 vaccine created
In 1971 the measles vaccine (1963) is combined with recently developed vaccines against mumps (1967) and rubella (1969) into a single vaccination (MMR) by Dr Maurice Hilleman. -
Polio eradicaton
In the late 1980s, polio is endemic in 125 countries, and the initiative aims to achieve its eradication by the year 2000. -
COVID19 Vaccine
In 2021 the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out continues, with doses delivered and administered across continents.