Dr. Michiaki Takahashi: Google Doodle celebrates Chickenpox vaccine inventor
Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Japenese artist Tatsuro Kiuchi, celebrates Japanese virologist Dr. Michiaki Takahashi, who developed the first vaccine against chickenpox
Takahashi’s vaccine has since been administered to millions of children around the world as an effective measure to prevent the viral disease
Born in 1928 in Osaka, Japan, Michiaki Takahashi earned his medical degree from Osaka University and joined the Research Institute for Microbial Disease, Osaka University in 1959
In US, when his son developed a serious bout of chickenpox, it lead him to turn his expertise toward combating the highly transmissible illness.
source : googledoodle
Dr.Takahashi returned to Japan in 1965and began culturing live but weakened chickenpox viruses in animal and human tissue.
The first vaccine was subsequently subjected to rigorous research with immunosuppressed patients and was proven to be extremely effective.
In 1986, the Research Foundation for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University began the rollout in Japan as the only varicella vaccine approved by the World Health Organization.
Dr.Takahashi’s lifesaving vaccine was soon utilized in over 80 countries. Thanks to his innovations, millions of cases of chickenpox are prevented each year.