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Vaccine Timeline and History of Vaccines

Vincent Iannelli, MD

Most people are aware of the big historic dates and events on the vaccine timeline.

For example, they might now when Edward Jenner first tested his smallpox vaccine (1798), when the first polio vaccine was licensed by Jonas Salk (1955), or that we just got a Meningococcal B vaccine (2014).

Smallpox was officially declared to have been eradicated worldwide in December 1979.

But few likely now that we have had rabies vaccines since 1885, a flu vaccine since 1945, or that the last case of wild polio in the United States was in 1979.

“It is hard to fully appreciate how vaccines have revolutionized modern medicine. The long schedule of vaccines may seem like a hassle, and rumors about harmful effects unnerve parents. But, the fact is, vaccines have helped save millions and millions of lives. Just a few generations ago, people lived under the constant threat of deadly infectious diseases, like smallpox, polio, and hepatitis.

Let’s look at the greatest infectious scourges of the past 1,000 years and how vaccines have mitigated or even eradicated the danger.”

Public Health Understanding Vaccines

From historical safety concerns, like the Cutter Incident in 1955 or the withdrawal of the first rotavirus vaccine in 1999, to improvements in vaccine safety and the control, elimination, and eradication of vaccine-preventable diseases, understanding the history of vaccines can help you get educated and understand that vaccines work and that they are safe and necessary.

Early History of Vaccination

In the early history of vaccination we had the the smallpox vaccine and the beginning of the pre-vaccine era – the first vaccines.

End of the Pre-Vaccine Era

In the mid-20th century, we started to get vaccines to control diseases that many of us have never seen, like polio, measles, and rubella.

The Vaccination Era

The end of the 20th century brought more vaccines and protection against even more now vaccine preventable diseases.

The Post Vaccination Era

Why call it the post-vaccination era?

It has been some time since a vaccine for a new disease has been added to the routine vaccination schedule, but we are also starting to see more and more outbreaks of old diseases, especially pertussis, mumps, and measles.

Surprisingly, there haven’t been all that many changes to the childhood immunization schedule in the past 20 years.

What has changed in 20 years? The rotavirus vaccine was added back to the schedule, the pneumococcal vaccine was updated to provide better coverage, we give the Tdap vaccine instead of Td, and teens also get the HPV and meningococcal vaccines. And of course, they should also get a COVID vaccine. The other big change for young children has been the recent addition of Beyfortus, the RSV antibody shot.

Few of the new vaccines that have been approved are for routine use. Most are only used in specific situations or in high risk patients.

What changes will we see in the next twenty years?

More Information About Vaccine Timelines

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