Michiaki Takahashi Facts: Google Doodle Celebrates Chickenpox Vaccine Inventor

The Google Doodle celebrated the birthday of Dr. Michiaki Takahashi, the Japanese virologist credited for developing the first vaccine against chickenpox, on Feb. 17.

This year marks the 94th birth anniversary of Takahashi. The Google Doodle, illustrated by Tokyo-based guest artist Tatsuro Kiuchi, demonstrated how the Japanese researcher's vaccine helped save children's lives and reduced the number of chickenpox cases around the world.

Takahashi developed his vaccine by growing live, but weakened versions of the virus in animal and human cells. The vaccine targeted the varicella virus that caused chickenpox. In 1986, the Research Foundation for Microbial Diseases in Osaka University began the rollout in Japan as the only varicella vaccine approved by the World Health Organization.

“Prior to the licensing of the chickenpox vaccine in 1995,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, “almost all persons in the United States had suffered from chickenpox by adulthood. Each year, the virus caused an estimated four million cases of chickenpox, 11,000 hospitalizations, and 100 to 150 deaths.” In 2006, the CDC began recommending a second dose of the vaccine.

Here are some facts about Takahashi:

1. Takahashi was born in 1928 in Osaka.

2. He earned his medical degree from Osaka University.

3. After his graduation, he joined the university's Research Institute for Microbial Disease in 1959.

4. In 1963, he was given a research fellowship at Baylor College in the United States of America.

5. During this time, his son was suffering from a serious bout of chickenpox.

6. His experience while caring for his 3-year-old son led to him developing a vaccine that is now used all over the world.

7. In 1965, Takahashi returned to Japan, where he began culturing live but weakened chicken pox viruses.

8. He dedicated five years to developing the vaccine.

9. In 1974, the virologist had created the first vaccine that targeted the varicella virus.

10. This became the only varicella vaccine that was approved by the World Health Organization.

11. The vaccine saved lives in over 80 countries.

12. Before his work on the chickenpox vaccine, he collaborated on mumps and rubella vaccines.

13. Takahashi died on Dec. 23, 2013, at the age of 85.

14. The cause of his death was heart failure.