Maurice Hilleman: Vaccine Creator

Dan Snow's History Hit

History Hit

History

4.7 • 12.9K Ratings

🗓️ 11 October 2021

⏱️ 22 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Dr Maurice Hilleman was a leading American microbiologist who specialised in vaccinology and immunology. He discovered nine vaccines that are routinely recommended for children today, rendering formerly devastating diseases practically forgotten. Considered by many to be the father of modern vaccines, Hilleman was directly involved in the development of most of the vaccines available today, including those for measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, influenza, Japanese encephalitis, pneumococcus, meningococcus and Haemophilus influenza B. His vaccines are estimated to save nearly 8 million lives a year. Despite Hilleman's many fundamental breakthroughs leading to arguably more lives saved than any other scientist in history, he has never been a household name.

Dan is joined by vaccine researcher, Paul A. Offit, who befriended Hilleman and, during the great man’s last months, interviewed him extensively about his life and career. Paul and Dan discuss Hilleman’s motivations and work ethic, his beginnings in working for the U.S. Military, the impact of ‘pro-disease’ activists and the genius behind the foundations for immunology.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	However, I'm welcome to dance in this history.
0:02.2	Around about a year ago on this podcast, I was lucky enough to pull off it.
0:05.5	He is a vaccine researcher.
0:07.6	He advises the US government on vaccines and he was talking to me about the COVID vaccine
0:13.0	on the day that it was announced that there wasn't workable COVID vaccine, a safe COVID
0:17.2	vaccine by Moderna.
0:18.6	It feels like we had a lot of water on the bridge since then.
0:21.1	We've known hundreds of millions of people vaccinated around the world.
0:25.1	It has been an absolute miracle.
0:28.0	But during that conversation, Paul Offit mentioned Maurice Hillman to me.
0:32.1	Maurice Hillman is responsible for nine of the big 14 vaccines in history.
0:37.4	Nine of them.
0:38.4	Absolutely astonishing.
0:40.4	It said he saved more lives than any other human who has ever lived.
0:46.0	Those vaccines include mumps, rebeller, Japanese and Sephelitis and hepatitis A.
0:53.5	He is consigned so many of these diseases into our past.
0:58.6	And we are so lucky to be living in a post Maurice Hillman era.
1:03.1	Paul Offit knew him.
1:04.6	Met him was one of his bargifers.
1:06.6	And so I thought it would be fascinating to learn more about this extraordinary man who
1:11.4	discovered so many new virus strains, helped develop new vaccines and grew up in a very
1:16.0	rugged setting in Moderna.
	...

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