Google Doodle celebrates Dr. Michiaki Takahashi, a Japanese virologist (Gao Qiao LI Ming), who created the first vaccine against chickenpox on February 17, 2022.
Who was Dr. Michiaki Takahashi (高橋 理明)?
Michiaki Takahashi, a Japanese virologist, was born in Osaka on 17 February 1928. He was a Japanese physician and virologist. His work in reducing varicella-zoster to create the Oka vaccine, a live, lessened varicella vaccination, is well known.
Michiaki Takahashi (高橋 理明) obtained his medical degree (MD), in 1954, from Osaka University’s Medical School. He then completed the Graduate Course of Medical Science in 1959, where he studied poxvirus virology. Dr. Takahashi received a fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas in 1963 to study measles and the polio virus.
He studied in Texas at Baylor College of Medicine and Pennsylvania at Temple University’s Fels Research Institute. His son was struck with chickenpox during this period, and he decided to use his skills to fight the extremely transmissible disease.
Dr. Michiaki Takahashi returned to Japan in 1965. He developed live, but weakening chickenpox viruses for animal and human tissues. It was ready for clinical preliminary testing after just five years of development. In 1974, Dr. Takahashi developed the first vaccine that focused on the varicella virus which causes chickenpox.
The vaccine was then subject to extensive research using immunosuppressed patients. It was found to be extremely successful. The Japan rollout of the varicella vaccine was initiated by Osaka University’s Research Foundation for Microbial Diseases in 1986.
Dr. Michiaki Takahashi retired from Osaka University and was awarded the title of professor emeritus.
The first vaccine against chickenpox was developed by Dr. Michiaki Takahashi, 高橋 理明. As a strong measure to prevent serious cases of viral disease transmission and to reduce the spread of it, Takahashi’s vaccine is now being distributed to large numbers of children all over the globe.
The chickenpox vaccine was discovered by Professor Takahashi and has been used around the world to eradicate chickenpox. The vaccine reduces the severity of chickenpox and lowers mortality, especially among children around the globe.
In his honor, there is a prize: The Takahashi Prize of the Japanese Society for Vaccinology, established October 2005.
Dr. Michiaki Takahashi (高橋 理明) passed away on December 16, 2013 from complications of heart failure.
The lifesaving vaccine developed by Dr. Michiaki Takahashi was quickly used in more than 80 countries. He was appointed director of Osaka University’s Microbial Disease Study Group in 1994. This position he held until his retirement. His efforts have prevented many cases of chickenpox every year.
Google featured a Doodle on their homepage on February 17th, 2022 to commemorate the 94th birthday of Dr. Michiaki Takahashi (高橋 理明).