Google search engine doodle art celebrates Dr.’s birthday. Tomoki Takahashi, the Japanese virologist who developed the first chickenpox vaccine. Takahashi’s vaccine is an effective measure to prevent serious contagious viral diseases and their spread, and has vaccinated millions of children around the world.

Today’s Google Doodle was drawn by Japanese guest artist Tatsuro Kiuchi. Tatsuro Kiuchi shared his thoughts on making the doodle and said he was able to learn that a vaccine can overcome a highly contagious disease and change the world.

Born in 1928, Takahashi graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, Osaka University, and joined the Institute of Microbiological Diseases in 1959. He studied measles and polio viruses and in 1963 received a research fellowship at Baylor College in the United States. During this time, Takahashi’s son developed severe chickenpox, prompting Japanese researchers to put his expertise to work in the fight against the highly contagious disease.

Takahashi developed the varicella vaccine after growing live but attenuated varicella virus in animal and human tissue. In subsequent rigorous studies in immunocompromised patients, the vaccine proved to be highly effective. In 1986, the Microbial Disease Research Foundation began introducing the vaccine in Japan as the only WHO-approved varicella vaccine.

He was later appointed director of the Microbial Disease Research Group at Osaka University, a position he held until his retirement.

Complete News Source : Hindustan Times