Yellow fever
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The Rockefeller Foundation was involved in research in West Africa. Tragically many of the lead researchers died of yellow fever from the 1925 expedition, but they were able to infect rhesus monkeys and therefore could remove the virus to the lab and study it. They discovered that serum from immune humans protected monkeys against infection, immune serum from South America protected against the African virus, and the killed virus would not confer immunity.
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World War II created a huge demand for the yellow fever vaccine. The United States used the Rockefeller Institute vaccine for almost 7 million doses. Later some 26,000 cases of jaundice were recorded and mortality rates of 3 per 1000 (but it was later shown to be Hep. B). An investigation ensued. The serum seemed to be the culprit. The serum was donated by medical professionals, students, etc. at Johns Hopkins who when later tested, it was revealed that several of the donors had a history of jaundice.
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1874 Image of Walter Reed |