Going Viral

Vaxx and the Facts: The Godfather of Vaccines

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Episode notes

This is not the first time scientists have raced to develop vaccines against a new disease. In the 1960s, scientists faced a similar crisis over rubella, also known as German measles. Today Mark explores the race to create the rubella vaccine with Dr. Stanley Plotkin, dubbed ‘The Godfather of Vaccines’. In 1964, working in his Wistar Institute laboratory in Philadelphia, Stanley developed the rubella vaccine — the “R” in MMR— that’s now used across the world. And Melissa speaks to science writer Meredith Wadman about the ethics of creating the rubella vaccine.

Hosted by Mark Honigsbaum @honigsbaum

With

Dr. Stanley Plotkin, Professor Emeritus at the Wistar Institute and University of Pennsylvania, and consultant to the vaccine industry.

vaccinestoday.eu/stories/author/splotkin/

Meredith Wadman @meredithwadman, Reporter @ScienceMagazine, Author of "The Vaccine Race: Science, Politics and the Human Costs of Defeating Disease”.

meredithwadman.com

sciencemag.org/news/2020/03/physician-whose-1964-vaccine-beat-back-rubella-working-defeat-new-coronavirus

Series Producer: Melissa FitzGerald @Melissafitzg

Cover art by Patrick Blower www.blowercartoons.com