You might not instantly recognize him by his name; however, the moment we say that Dr. Michiaki Takahashi was the one who developed the chickenpox vaccine, you will at once remember him. Needless to say, he was a well-known scientist, virologist, doctor, media personality, inventor, and internet influencer. We have no words to express gratitude to this man for developing a life-saving vaccine.
In 1973, he created a vaccine that WHO certified later on. The name of the vaccine is very popular. Yes, you guessed it right; it is the Varicella vaccine. However, you might have a question on your mind as to why we are discussing him suddenly. He came into the limelight in February 2022 because of a Google Doodle. It was put up due to his 94th birth anniversary celebration.
So would you like to know more about this popular personality in detail? Stay with us until the end, as we will share with you all the significant aspects of Dr. Takahashi here. Let us have a look!
Who Is Dr. Michiaki Takahashi?
As we said earlier, Dr. Michiaki Takahashi was a Japanese virologist. In fact, people best knew him for inventing the first chickenpox vaccine. He also developed the “Oka” vaccine by producing v-Oka. It was a virus strain of the varicella-zoster virus. This famous personality was born on February 17th, 1928, in Yuzo, Osaka, Japan. Therefore, he was 85 years old when he died.
As per the sources, Takahashi earned his MD in 1954 from the prestigious Osaka University’s Medical School. He also completed the Graduate Course of Medical Science in 1959, majoring in poxvirus virology. In fact, he further studied at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas and the Fels Research Institute of Temple University. So you can well understand that the man was highly educated.
However, do you know why he chose to develop this vaccine? Well, the experience of watching his eldest son suffering from chickenpox while studying in the U.S led him to develop this vaccine in 1971. Even though the research was arduous, he was able to achieve success. Firstly, in 1984 WHO certified the vaccine, and in 1986, the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare approved it. Let us find out more about him.
Have A Look At Dr. Takahashi’s Family
As per the sources, Dr. Michiaki Takahashi’s family was very well-educated. In fact, they always motivated him to achieve something great in his life. He got full support from his parents to join a good college in the United States. However, sadly, we do not have any info about his father, mother, and other family members. We also do not come to know about their professions either.
But we know that they hail from an ethnical background and hold a Japanese nationality. However, there is no accurate info regarding their religion or personal details. So we are unable to provide you with all those info.
Sources reveal that Takahashi was a happily married man. However, he preferred keeping her personal life away from the media’s spotlight. We also do not have any info about his marriage date or the birth of his children. So we will try to update you will all the details as soon as we get any news.
How Was Dr. Takahashi’s Career & Professional Life?
There is no doubt that Dr. Takahashi was a very competent and highly qualified virologist. His researches were not just on the chickenpox virus but on several other viruses. At the same time, he also helped other scientists develop many vaccines and medicines for the nation. Moreover, he also worked in various prestigious institutes and universities.
As said earlier, Dr. Takahashi developed this vaccine after his eldest son Teruyuki started suffering from chickenpox. Since there was no proper vaccine for the same, he saw his son in severe pain. This made him begin his research on developing this vaccine. It was after 2-3 years of hard work he was able to bring it up in 1973.
Firstly, the WHO gave its approval in 1984, and secondly, the Japanese Ministry of Health Welfare in 1986. Dr. Takahashi and his team named the vaccine as Varicella vaccine. Needless to say, his research and immense knowledge helped save the lives of thousands of children.
Ending Note
So as we conclude, we can say that there are very few personalities like Dr. Michiaki Takahashi who selflessly contribute to the betterment of the nation. He was indeed a rare soul who thought about the pain of thousands of people after seeing the pain and suffering of his own son. We hope that in today’s world, people like them come up and contribute their knowledge for the well-being of the nation.
