How many of us have ever heard of Maurice Hilleman? Many of us may owe our lives to him.
Dr. Hilleman developed 8 of the 14 vaccines routinely recommended: measles, mumps, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, chickenpox, meningitis, pneumonia and Haemophilus influenzae bacteria (which brings on a variety of symptoms, including inflammation of the lining of the brain and deafness). He also developed the first generation of a vaccine against rubella or German measles. The vaccines have virtually vanquished many of the once common childhood diseases in developed countries.
We know the names Salk and Sabin, but Hilleman? He wasn't obscure in the medico-scientific community, apparently; read what Dr. Anthony Fauci of NIH says about him: "One can say without hyperbole that Maurice changed the world with his extraordinary contributions in so many disciplines: virology, epidemiology, immunology, cancer research and vaccinology."
As a survivor of chicken pox and measles, thanks, Doc.
Posted by Linkmeister at April 13, 2005 09:58 AM