Dr Maurice Hilleman’s contributions to the field of vaccine research are immense. He is credited with saving millions of lives through the development of over 30 vaccines. His career spanned over four decades, with nearly 30 years spent at Merck.
A remarkable success in vaccine research and development was seen in the second half of the twentieth century with Dr. Maurice Hilleman developing vaccines for:
Measles
Mumps
Hepatitis A & B
Meningococcus
Pneumococcus
Rubella
Haemophilus Influenzae type b (Hib)
Chickenpox
Dr. Hilleman retired as the Senior Vice President of Merck Research Labs in 1984. In 1988, he was awarded the National Medal of Science, the highest scientific honor in the United States, by President Ronald Reagan. Other honors included
a special lifetime achievement award from the World Health Organization, the Sabin Gold Medal, and the Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research. Prior to his death in 2005, he served as the Adjunct Professor of pediatrics
at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, and as an Adviser to the World Health Organization.
Carrying forward this commitment, at Hilleman Laboratories, the mission is to ensure that vaccines, even for the most fatal diseases, are within the reach of everyone all across the globe.