Menu VACCINES: Our History, Our Legacy Merck and its legacy companies have been working to discover and develop vaccines for more than a century. “An epidemic of diphtheria is almost inevitable here. Stop. I am in urgent need of one million units of diphtheria antitoxin. Stop. Mail is only form of transportation. Stop.” This was the desperate radio telegram in January 1925 from Dr. Curtis Welch in Nome, Alaska, to all the major Alaska towns, to territorial Governor Scott Bone in Juneau, and to the U.S. Public Health Service in Washington, D.C. Diphtheria was spreading through the icebound community. Children had already died, and the local supply of diphtheria antitoxin had expired the previous summer. Weather prevented a delivery by air, so relay teams of sled dogs and their mushers raced against the clock to deliver 300,000 units of antitoxin, which was produced by Merck legacy company H.K. Mulford. They completed the 674-mile journey over what later became known as the Iditarod Trail in a record-breaking five days and seven hours despite whiteout conditions and temperatures of fifty degrees below zero. 674 Miles 300,000 Units 5 Days This "Great Race of Mercy" is an iconic story of human compassion. MORE THAN A CENTURY OF VACCINES In 1895, the H.K. Mulford Company began marketing the first commercially available diphtheria antitoxin produced in the U.S., the very medication that helped avert the diphtheria epidemic in Nome. Today, Merck has a significant presence in vaccine discovery, development and distribution in both human and animal health. Dr. Maurice Hilleman b.1919 - d.2005 THE VACCINE PIONEERS Merck's Dr. Maurice Hilleman belongs to a distinguished group of vaccine pioneers -- including Edward Jenner, Louis Pasteur, Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin. Dr. Hilleman is credited with helping to develop more than forty vaccines and his impact on public health is undeniable. LEARN MORE VACCINES ARE NOT JUST FOR CHILDREN The CDC considers immunizations one of the ten great public health achievements of the 20th century. In the U.S., vaccines are now available for a number of infectious diseases that once routinely affected individuals in all age groups. Many people think vaccines are for children, but adults also are susceptible to many infectious diseases. Each year in the U.S., thousands of adults suffer complications from diseases for which there are vaccines. In developing areas of the world, the toll is most often higher. PROTECTING PUBLIC HEALTH IS A WORLDWIDE CHALLENGE Outside the U.S., Merck is working with national health ministries and non-government agencies to help write new chapters in the public health success story through partnerships, demonstration projects, donation programs, and technology transfer agreements. “Vaccines are a powerful force of health and health development, and their globalization is not just a business necessity but a public health obligation. Merck is on a mission to ensure that more people can access our vaccines, regardless of where they live or their financial circumstances.” -Julie L. Gerberding, M.D., M.P.H. executive vice president & chief patient officer, Merck Dr. Julie Gerberding, executive vice president & chief patient officer, Merck Published July 2014; updated April 2016 Copyright. © 2009-2017 Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. Forward-Looking Statement Privacy Terms of Use Site Map