Immunology & Vaccines: Smallpox Eradication to mRNA COVID Vaccines
Encyclopedia/1. The Cosmos & The Natural World/6. Medicine & Human Biology/02. Immunology & Vaccine Breakthroughs • Curated by Admin Timeline.sg
This timeline traces the history of immunology and vaccines from Edward Jenner's smallpox inoculation in 1796 to the development of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines after 2020. It covers key discoveries including Pasteur's rabies vaccine, the development of live attenuated and inactivated vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and global eradication efforts.
Chronological Storyline (44 Milestones)
May 14, 1796 CE
Jenner Performs First Smallpox Vaccination
Edward Jenner inoculates 8-year-old James Phipps with cowpox, demonstrating protection against smallpox. This is the first successful vaccination. #vaccines #history
Jenner Performs First Smallpox Vaccination By John Raphael Smith - [1] [2], originally uploaded to en by User:Magnus Manske, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31245
1879 CE
Pasteur Creates First Attenuated Vaccine
Louis Pasteur accidentally discovers attenuated chicken cholera vaccine, laying groundwork for live attenuated vaccines. #vaccines #microbiology
Pasteur Creates First Attenuated Vaccine By Paul Nadar - File:Louis Pasteur, foto av Paul Nadar.jpg, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28039885
Jul 6, 1885 CE
Pasteur Administers First Rabies Vaccine
Louis Pasteur successfully treats a boy bitten by a rabid dog using a rabies vaccine made from dried nerve tissue. #vaccines #rabies
Pasteur Administers First Rabies Vaccine By Whispyhistory - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=113048305
1890 CE
Discovery of Antibody-Mediated Immunity
Emil von Behring and Shibasaburo Kitasato demonstrate that serum from immunized animals can neutralize diphtheria toxin, leading to serum therapy. #immunology #history
Discovery of Antibody-Mediated Immunity By Fritz Schuhmann, Hofphotograph Bad Kissingen - Signatur: EvB/L 1/25 Behring-Nachlass digital, Emil-von-Behring-Bibliothek Marburg, Arbeitsstelle für Geschichte der Medizin, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14495196
1896 CE
First Typhoid Vaccine
Almroth Wright creates a killed typhoid vaccine, later used in military. #vaccines #wwi
First Typhoid Vaccine By Unknown author - [1], CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32910860
1901 CE
First Nobel Prize in Medicine Awarded for Diphtheria Serum
Emil von Behring receives the inaugural Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on serum therapy against diphtheria. #immunology #nobel
1908 CE
Nobel for Phagocytosis and Side-Chain Theory
Elie Metchnikoff and Paul Ehrlich receive Nobel Prize for their contributions to immunology. #immunology #nobel
Nobel for Phagocytosis and Side-Chain Theory By Harris & Ewing - This image is available from the United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID hec.04709.This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6060062
1921 CE
First Use of BCG Vaccine against Tuberculosis
Albert Calmette and Camille Guérin develop the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine, first given to an infant in 1921. #vaccines #tb
First Use of BCG Vaccine against Tuberculosis By Y tambe - Y tambe's file, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1827666
1923 CE
Development of Diphtheria Toxoid Vaccine
Alexander Glenny inactivates diphtheria toxin with formaldehyde, creating a safe toxoid vaccine. #vaccines #toxoid
Development of Diphtheria Toxoid Vaccine By melvil - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49536038
1926 CE
First Pertussis Vaccine
Whole-cell pertussis vaccine developed. Later replaced by acellular versions. #vaccines #pertussis
First Pertussis Vaccine By メルビル - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50465371
Max Theiler develops the 17D strain live attenuated yellow fever vaccine, earning a Nobel Prize. #vaccines #yellowfever
Attenuated Yellow Fever Vaccine (17D) Created By Agência Brasil Fotografias - Barros inaugura linha de produção da vacina de febre amarela, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=66882256
1942 CE
Influenza Vaccine Licensed for Military Use
First inactivated influenza vaccine used to prevent outbreaks among troops during WWII. #vaccines #flu
Influenza Vaccine Licensed for Military Use By Airman Joseph R Schmitt, U.S. Navy - This image was released by the United States Navy with the ID 041028-N-9864S-021 (next). This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing. العربية ∙ বাংলা ∙ Bahasa Indonesia ∙ Bahaso Jambi ∙ Deutsch ∙ Deutsch (Sie-Form) ∙ English ∙ español ∙ euskara ∙ فارسی ∙ français ∙ italiano ∙ 日本語 ∙ 한국어 ∙ македонски ∙ മലയാളം ∙ Plattdüütsch ∙ Nederlands ∙ polski ∙ پښتو ∙ português ∙ русский ∙ slovenščina ∙ svenska ∙ Türkçe ∙ українська ∙ 简体中文 ∙ 繁體中文 ∙ +/−, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20790304
1949 CE
Polio Virus Cultured in Non-Neural Tissue
John Enders, Thomas Weller, and Frederick Robbins successfully grow poliovirus in human tissue culture, enabling vaccine production. #polio #virology
1952 CE
Salk Inactivated Polio Vaccine Proven Effective
Jonas Salk tests his inactivated polio vaccine in a large field trial, showing 80-90% effectiveness. #polio #vaccines
Salk Inactivated Polio Vaccine Proven Effective By USAID - USAID Bangladesh, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1021
Apr 12, 1955 CE
Salk Polio Vaccine Approved
Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) is licensed in the US, leading to dramatic decline in polio cases. #polio #vaccines
1961 CE
Sabin Oral Polio Vaccine Introduced
Albert Sabin's live attenuated oral polio vaccine (OPV) gains approval and becomes key for eradication efforts. #polio #vaccines
1963 CE
First Measles Vaccine Licensed
John F. Enders develops the first measles vaccine, an attenuated strain. #vaccines #measles
First Measles Vaccine Licensed By DFID - UK Department for International Development - Providing vaccinations to protect against disease after Typhoon Haiyan, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30786484
1967 CE
WHO Intensifies Smallpox Eradication Campaign
WHO launches intensified smallpox eradication campaign, using surveillance and vaccination. #smallpox #eradication
WHO Intensifies Smallpox Eradication Campaign By Photo Credit: Content Providers(s): CDC/James Hicks - This media comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Public Health Image Library (PHIL), with identification number #3265. Note: Not all PHIL images are public domain; be sure to check copyright status and credit authors and content providers. العربية | Deutsch | English | македонски | slovenščina | +/−, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4394235
1970 CE
MMR Vaccine Combines Measles, Mumps, Rubella
Maurice Hilleman develops the combined MMR vaccine. #vaccines #mmr
MMR Vaccine Combines Measles, Mumps, Rubella By Whispyhistory - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=93652434
1971 CE
Hepatitis B Virus Identified
Baruch Blumberg discovers the hepatitis B virus, leading to blood screening and vaccine development. #virology #vaccines
Hepatitis B Virus Identified By Graham Beards at English Wikipedia - Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons., CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6032684
1974 CE
WHO Launches Expanded Programme on Immunization
WHO establishes EPI to ensure universal access to vaccines for children. #globalhealth #vaccines
1976 CE
Monoclonal Antibodies Created via Hybridoma Technology
Georges Köhler and César Milstein develop method to produce monoclonal antibodies, revolutionizing immunology. #immunology #monoclonal
Monoclonal Antibodies Created via Hybridoma Technology By Adenosine - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9659630
1977 CE
Last Natural Smallpox Case Reported
The last naturally occurring case of smallpox is reported in Somalia, marking the beginning of the end for the disease. #smallpox #eradication
May 8, 1980 CE
WHO Declares Smallpox Eradicated
The World Health Assembly officially declares smallpox eradicated, the first disease ever eliminated by human effort. #smallpox #eradication
1981 CE
First Hepatitis B Vaccine Licensed
Plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine becomes available. Later replaced by recombinant vaccine. #vaccines #hepatitis
First Hepatitis B Vaccine Licensed By Whispyhistory - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=93651772
1983 CE
HIV-1 Isolated by Montagnier and Gallo
Discovery of HIV, leading to intense research for a vaccine. #hiv #vaccine
HIV-1 Isolated by Montagnier and Gallo By Photo Credit: C. Goldsmith Content Providers: CDC/ C. Goldsmith, P. Feorino, E. L. Palmer, W. R. McManus - This media comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Public Health Image Library (PHIL), with identification number #10000. Note: Not all PHIL images are public domain; be sure to check copyright status and credit authors and content providers. العربية | Deutsch | English | македонски | slovenščina | +/−, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3909584
1985 CE
First Recombinant Vaccine for Hepatitis B
Merck releases Recombivax HB, the first vaccine produced via recombinant DNA technology. #biotech #vaccines
1990 CE
Hib Conjugate Vaccine Licensed
Conjugate vaccine against Haemophilus influenzae type b reduces bacterial meningitis in children. #vaccines #hib
1991 CE
Hepatitis A Vaccine Approved
Inactivated hepatitis A vaccine becomes available. #vaccines #hepatitis
Hepatitis A Vaccine Approved By Whispyhistory - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=113166726
1995 CE
Chickenpox Vaccine Introduced
Live attenuated varicella zoster vaccine licensed for children. #vaccines #chickenpox
Chickenpox Vaccine Introduced By Whispyhistory - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=123412453
1998 CE
Wakefield Publishes Fraudulent MMR-Autism Paper
Andrew Wakefield's study falsely linking MMR vaccine to autism sparks anti-vaccine movement, later retracted. #vaccines #misinformation
2000 CE
GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, Founded
GAVI is established to increase access to vaccines in low-income countries. #globalhealth #vaccines
2000 CE
Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Licensed
Prevnar 7, a conjugate vaccine against Streptococcus pneumoniae, is approved in the US. #vaccines #pneumonia
Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Licensed By melvil - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49917048
2006 CE
Rotavirus Vaccines Licensed
Live attenuated oral rotavirus vaccines introduced, reducing severe diarrhea. #vaccines #rotavirus
First HPV Vaccine Approved By Jan Christian @ www.ambrotosphotography.com Gardasil_vaccine_and_box.jpg: Jan Christian @ www.ambrotosphotography.com - Derivative work of Gardasil vaccine and box Gardasil_vaccine_and_box.jpg, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6508237
Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman discover that modified nucleosides prevent strong immune activation, enabling therapeutic mRNA. #mrna #immunology
mRNA Nucleoside Modification Reduces Immunogenicity By US Embassy Sweden - Image, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=146052139
2010 CE
PCV13 Vaccine Licensed
Expanded pneumococcal vaccine covering 13 serotypes is approved. #vaccines #pneumonia
2014 CE
Ebola Vaccine Trials Begin
During West Africa Ebola outbreak, experimental rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine shows promising efficacy in ring vaccination. #ebola #vaccines
Ebola Vaccine Trials Begin By NIAID - Study Participant Receives NIAID/GSK Candidate Ebola Vaccine, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36038616
2015 CE
First Dengue Vaccine Approved
Sanofi’s Dengvaxia, a live attenuated tetravalent vaccine, is licensed but later linked to increased severity in seronegative recipients. #dengue #vaccines
2015 CE
First Malaria Vaccine RTS,S Pilot Studies
RTS,S/AS01 (Mosquirix) shows partial efficacy against malaria in African children. #malaria #vaccines
First Malaria Vaccine RTS,S Pilot Studies By GHTC - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7u5NAG3yt2M – View/save archived versions on archive.org, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=110788167
2019 CE
Ebola Vaccine Ervebo Approved
FDA approves Merck's rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine for Ebola Zaire. #ebola #vaccines
Dec 11, 2020 CE
mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Authorized
Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines using mRNA technology are authorized in December 2020, revolutionizing pandemic response. #covid19 #mrna
mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Authorized By Lasse Folkersen og Ann-Louise Bergström - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=110274951
Oct 6, 2021 CE
WHO Recommends Malaria Vaccine
WHO recommends wide use of RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine for children in moderate-to-high transmission areas. #malaria #vaccines
