Living in a Vaccination Nation Quiz

Answer: Polio (Injection)

Dr. Jonas Salk successfully developed his inactive vaccine for polio in 1955, which came in injection form. The first demonstration of a polio vaccine was run in 1950. It later became available for widespread use and Salk's vaccine is considered the first successful vaccine for polio.

Answer: Measles

John Franklin Enders and Thomas Peebles both made vital contributions to the successful development of the measles vaccine. In 1971, Maurice Hilleman developed the MMR vaccine, which vaccinated patients against measles, mumps and rubella all in the same vaccine.

Answer: Smallpox

Edward Jenner successfully developed a vaccine for smallpox in 1796. He used the cowpox virus as a starting point for the smallpox vaccine, which was fine tuned by the 19th century. Because of the success of the vaccine, smallpox was eventually eradicated worldwide.

Answer: Cholera

Although he was not the original developer of the cholera vaccine, Wilhelm Kolle developed the most successful vaccine in 1896. Previous vaccines had some dangerous side effects, until Wilhelm Kolle developed his own vaccine. This vaccine was less severe, and ultimately was widely administered by 1902.

Answer: Mumps

The first vaccine developed for mumps was developed by Maurice Hilleman. He took cultures of mumps from his daughter after she contracted the disease, and ultimately succeeded in creating the first vaccine. Hilleman also developed the MMR vaccine in 1971, combining the vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella.

Answer: Diphtheria

Along with Kitasato Shibasaburô, Emil von Behring successfully developed an antitoxin for diphtheria in 1890. Successful integration in humans occurred several years later. The same two men are credited with development of the vaccine for tetanus, also in the year 1890.

Answer: Polio (Oral)

Albert Sabin is best known for his development of an oral form of a polio vaccine. He, along with Jonas Salk, is credited with developing polio vaccines, but Sabin's vaccine being in oral form is considered most effective. The first successful large scale usage of Sabin's oral vaccine took place in 1960.

Answer: Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

Grace Elderling is best known for her work on the vaccine for pertussis, better known as whooping cough. She, along with Pearl Kendrick and Loney Gordon, was hired to study pertussis in the 1930s. Ultimately they succeeded in developing a vaccine, which went nationwide in 1940.

Answer: Rabies

Louis Pasteur helped pioneer the first vaccine for rabies in 1885. The treatment was given in stages, with multiple injections over time. Eventually, a better vaccination for rabies was developed in 1908, which didn't require multiple treatments.

Answer: Rubella (German measles)

Meyer was the leader of a group of individuals who succeeded in developing the first vaccine for rubella. The group kicked their research into high gear in 1964, when a rubella epidemic rocked the United States. The rubella vaccine was later combined with the measles and mumps vaccine, into the MMR vaccine, developed by Maurice Hilleman in 1971.