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Review
. 2024 Nov 25;16(11):e74451.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.74451. eCollection 2024 Nov.

Dr. Thomas Francis Jr.: A Legacy of Vaccine Innovation and Public Health Advancement

Priyanka Jali  1 , Manjusha S Deshpande  1 , Priyanka Khopkar-Kale  1 , Srikanth Tripathy  1
Affiliations
Review

Dr. Thomas Francis Jr.: A Legacy of Vaccine Innovation and Public Health Advancement

Priyanka Jali et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Dr. Thomas Francis Jr. was an American physician, virologist, and epidemiologist who was a professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan from 1941 to 1969. He focused on studying infectious diseases, particularly pneumonia, influenza, and poliomyelitis, and developing vaccines and clinical trials. He earned his medical degree from Yale University in 1925. In 1941, the Armed Forces Epidemiological Board (AFEB) appointed him as the Director of the Commission on Influenza. This prestigious role underscored his expertise and leadership in combating infectious diseases and successfully developing field trials and evaluations of protective influenza vaccines. In 1954, he spearheaded the largest and most comprehensive clinical trial of the Salk polio vaccine at the University of Michigan Vaccine Evaluation Center, with vital support from the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (NFIP). He received the Medal of Freedom in 1946, the Lasker Award in 1947, and the Medal in Global Public Health in 2005.

Keywords: historical vignette; influenza vaccine; polio vaccine; preventive actions; public health and safety.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

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