A VACCINE TIMELINE

1905    U.S. Supreme Court upholds state law mandating smallpox vaccinations

1906 to 1928    Vaccines against pertussis and diphtheria developed

1944    Pertussis vaccine recommended for universal use in infants

1947    DPT (tri-valent diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus) recommended by the AAP for routine use

1955    IPV (inactivated polio vaccine) licensed (was later modified in 1987)

1961    OPV (oral, live-virus polio vaccine) licensed

1963    Measles vaccine licensed

1959 to 1968    Quadrigen (DPT-IPV combo) used routinely [pulled off the market in1968 for safety and efficacy reasons]

1969    Rubella vaccine licensed

1971    MMR (tri-valent measles/mumps/rubella) licensed

1972    U.S. ended routine use of smallpox vaccine

1981    Japan licenses safer DPT vaccine, the acellular DTaP

1983 to 1985    first Hib (Hemophilus influenza B) vaccine (taken off the market in1985 for safety and efficacy reasons)

1986    Vaccine Injury Compensation Act passed

1986    recombinant Hepatitis B vaccine licensed

1987  Hib vaccine licensed

1988    Hib added to schedule

1988  Vaccine Injury Compensation Program Funded

1990    conjugate Hib vaccine licensed

1991    recombinant Hepatitis B recommended for all newborn infants and children

1993    DPTH (DPT-Hib combo) licensed

1995    Varicella licensed

1996    Dtap licensed; recommended for use instead of whole-cell DPT

1996    Hib-HepB combo licensed

1998    Lyme vaccine (Lymerix) licensed

early 1998    Rotavirus vaccine recommended by CDC for universal use in infants

Aug. 1998    Rotavirus vaccine licensed

Oct. 1999    Rotavirus vaccine pulled off the market due to significant adverse reactions

1999/2000    A Joint Statement by the U.S. Public Health Service, the AAFP, the AAP, and ACIP urging manufacturers to remove the preservative thimerosal as soon as possible from vaccines routinely recommended for infants.

2000   Prevnar (pneumococcal conjugate vaccine) licensed

2000    CDC recommends use of IPV instead of OPV (polio vaccine)

2002    GSK pulled Lymerix off the market

2002    Pediarix (penta-valent DtaP/HepB/IPV) licensed

2002 CDC encourages flu vaccine for children

2003   Inhaled flu vaccine (Flumist) being reviewed for approval by the FDA

2003    Smallpox vaccine for first-responders 

2007   Gardasil (HPV) vaccine licensed

2007   Menactra (meningitis vaccine) licensed

Prepared by: 
National Vaccine Information Center
204 Mill St., Suite B1.
Vienna, VA 22180
www.NVIC.org