E154: The Smallpox Vaccine and Bobbie Walsh

Host: Carol MacAllister Guest: Barbara (Bobbie) Walsh Description: Today, we all take vaccines for granted, and some even ignore them, but most seniors remember the diseases that plagued our childhoods and for which vaccines were miracle cures. Bobbie Walsh was one of those unsung heroes who worked tirelessly for 32 years creating vaccines for many diseases, but notably smallpox, which killed 300 million people in the 20th century alone. This is the story of how the smallpox vaccine was created in our central PA backyard (the Wyeth Labs in Marietta). On May 8, 1980, the World Health Organization declared smallpox eradicated worldwide. But if it should rear its ugly head again, the CDC still has enough vaccine to stop it.