Google Doodle celebrates chickenpox vaccine pioneer Dr Michiaki Takahashi’s 94th birth anniversary

Google Doodle celebrated Japanese virologist Dr Michiaki Takahashi’s 94th birth anniversary. Dr Takahashi developed the first vaccine against chickenpox.

Google Doodle celebrated Japanese virologist Dr Michiaki Takahashi’s 94th birth anniversary with a special graphic on February 17. Dr Takahashi developed the first vaccine against chickenpox. Today’s Google Doodle illustrated by Japan-based guest artist Tatsuro Kiuchi features two animated figurines of Michiaki Takahashi.

Since being developed, Takahashi’s vaccine has since been administered to millions of children around the world as an effective measure to prevent severe cases of the contagious viral disease and its transmission.

Michiaki Takahashi was born on this day in 1928 in Osaka, Japan. He earned his medical degree from Osaka University and joined the Research Institute for Microbial Disease, Osaka University in 1959. After studying measles and polio viruses, Dr Takahashi accepted a research fellowship in 1963 at Baylor College in the United States. It was during this time that his son developed a serious bout of chickenpox, leading him to turn his expertise toward combating the highly transmissible illness.

New Google Doodle has been released: "Dr. Michiaki Takahashi's 94th Birthday" :)#google #doodle #designhttps://t.co/zANXXrxWc9 pic.twitter.com/lWCATZ1EN4

DrTakahashi returned to Japan in 1965 and began culturing live but weakened chickenpox viruses in animal and human tissue. After just five short years of development, it was ready for clinical trials. In 1974, Dr Takahashi had developed the first vaccine targeting the varicella virus that causes chickenpox. It was subsequently subjected to rigorous research with immunosuppressed patients and was proven to be extremely effective. In 1986, the Research Foundation for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University began the rollout in Japan as the only varicella vaccine approved by the World Health Organization.