Maurice Hilleman, PhDProlific Vaccine Creator
Chapter 1Maurice Hilleman's Origin Story
September 30, 1919Birth of Maurice Hilleman
1927Diphtheria Strikes Young Hilleman
Eight-year-old Maurice Hilleman nearly died from diphtheria, a disease that would later be virtually eradicated in the United States through immunization.
1941College Graduation and Graduate Studies
1944Commercial Employment
Chapter 2Hilleman Takes on Infectious Diseases
1944Vaccine for Japanese Encephalitis
1948Hilleman Leaves Squibb
December 31, 1957Merck Hires Hilleman
Hilleman left the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research to become director of Virus and Cell Biology Research for the Merck Institute for Therapeutic Research in West Point, Pennsylvania.
1962Rubella Virus Isolated
March 21, 1963Rubeovax Licensed
March 23, 1963Hilleman Isolates Mumps Virus
June 28, 1965Testing of Mumps Vaccine
1967Hilleman Adopts New Rubella Strain
Chapter 3Maurice Hilleman Works Until His Death in 2005
1968Vaccine for Hong Kong Influenza Pandemic
1971Measles, Mumps, Rubella Vaccine Licensed
The U.S. government licensed Merck’s combined trivalent measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR).
Combination vaccines have several advantages over single vaccines. They reduce the need for several separate injections, and they reduce costs of stocking and shipping multiple containers. Combination vaccines can help improve overall vaccination rates by simplifying the vaccination process.
1971Marek's Disease Vaccine Licensed
November 21, 1977Pneumococcal Vaccine Licensed
1981Chickenpox Virus Strain Licensed
1984Hilleman Retires
Maurice Hilleman officially retired from Merck but maintained regular office hours there for many years.