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Plague Vaccine
About Plague Vaccine
Waldemar Haffkine developed the first plague vaccine in Bombay in 1897. Haffkine, a Russian born scientist who worked with Pasteur, created the vaccine during a plague epidemic in India. He tested the vaccine on himself before administering it to others. The vaccine was produced at the Haffkine Institute in Bombay. Plague, caused by Yersinia pestis, is transmitted by fleas from infected rodents. The disease caused the Black Death, killing tens of millions of people in 14th century Europe. Modern plague vaccines are not widely used. Plague is treatable with antibiotics if diagnosed early. Human cases still occur each year, with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, and Peru among the most affected countries. The Haffkine Institute continues to research infectious diseases. Haffkine was made a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire in 1897 for his contributions to public health.
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