After the influenza virus was finally identified in 1933, researchers immediately started to develop a vaccine. The first flu vaccine was approved for U.S. military use in 1945 and for civilian use in 1946.
Unfortunately, the flu has several types, and many types come in multiple strains—each of which has to be included in a vaccine to provide protection. Each year, scientists make their best prediction as to which flu variants will circulate that year and prepare a vaccine that treats a combination of the most likely strains. Sometimes the match is a good one, but sometimes unexpected strains mean the vaccine is less effective. Immunity also wears off and different strains emerge—which is why it’s important to get a flu shot every year.
V.85.37.2477, Richmond Times-Dispatch Collection, The Valentine
In the early-20th century, Europe and the U.S. saw the rise of “open air” schools intended to create healthy environments to combat tuberculosis using the principles of sanatoria. Sometimes purpose-built, and sometimes converted spaces, open air schools provided fresh air and extra nutrition for at-risk youth.
In the May 1917 issue of The Modern City, John H. Ferguson wrote about Richmond’s 16 open air schools: “Each school has a capacity of 20 children; and each one is always crowded, with a long waiting list. The children are selected from the entire public school system of the city by the school physician…Few of these children have tuberculosis even in its non-communicative forms, but they are all below par, physically, just in the right receptive condition to be fertile soil for the development of the disease.”
A Richmond Times-Dispatch notice of March 2, 1915 (p. 7) noted fundraising activities of "prominent society women" in support of the open-air schools. These women served as tearoom hostesses in the palm garden of the Jefferson Hotel. Indoor golf was a popular activity for which "two handsome silver cups" were to be awarded at the conclusion of the season.
French bacteriologists Albert Calmette (1863–1933) and Camille Guérin (1872–1961) finalized the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine for tuberculosis in 1921. The vaccine remains the only tuberculosis vaccine in use today. While not perfect, it is one of the most widely used vaccines and reaches more than 80 percent of all children in countries where the disease is common.
The BCG vaccine was a major weapon in public health efforts to fight tuberculosis—an ongoing battle dramatized by Richmond children in this 1921 play. In this panoramic photograph, a "Modern Health Crusader" brandishes a sword shaped like the double-barred cross that was the emblem of the crusade. The crusader carries a "Modern Health Crusader" shield and fights "Tuberculosis" who is dressed all in black.
The Modern Health Crusaders campaign was devised by Charles De Forest of the National Tuberculosis Association.
No Copyright – Non-Commercial Use Only
This object has been digitized in a public-private partnership. As part of this partnership, the partners have agreed to limit commercial uses of this digital representation of the object by third parties. You can, without permission, copy, modify, distribute, display, or perform the digital object, for non-commercial uses. For any other permissible uses, please review the terms and conditions of the organization that has made the item available.
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/
People can be exposed to tuberculosis bacteria and become infected. Some who are infected go on to develop active TB disease; those who do not are said to have latent infection.
Latent infection can be found through a skin test or a blood test; however, a chest x-ray and laboratory testing of a mucus sample are needed to determine if someone has active TB disease.
In 1946, the Richmond Health Department worked with medical and civic organizations to launch the city’s first chest x-ray campaign.
"I've Had My Chest X-Ray" button with red double-bar cross that was the emblem of the National Tuberculosis Association anti-TB crusade.
People can be exposed to tuberculosis bacteria and become infected. Some who are infected go on to develop active TB disease; those who do not are said to have latent infection.
Latent infection can be found through a skin test or a blood test; however, a chest x-ray and laboratory testing of a mucus sample are needed to determine if someone has active TB disease.
In 1946, the Richmond Health Department worked with medical and civic organizations to launch the city’s first chest x-ray campaign.
In 1981, Dr. Michael Gottlieb of UCLA identified a new disease that, among its many signs, severely weakened the immune system. Named acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), this disease was initially seen among gay men in large cities.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), identified in 1985, is transmitted through blood, genital fluids (such as semen) and breastmilk.
The earliest confirmed case of AIDS in the U.S. was in 1968, with the first case in Virginia reported in 1982. With no known cure, HIV/AIDS was initially a death sentence for those infected.
Participants in this 1987 candlelight AIDS memorial vigil walked down E. Grace Street from St. Paul's Episcopal Churh to Capitol Square in Richmond, Va.
Lantern slide. Image taken in Richmond, Va in 1907.
The Richmond Health Department formed in 1906. One of its early initiatives (1907) was to investigate 433 cases of typhoid fever, creating the city’s first systematic study of infectious disease. In 1908, Dr. Ernest C. Levy (1868–1938), head of the Richmond Health Department, published the survey findings in The Old Dominion Journal of Medicine and Surgery. Dr. Levy discussed the generally declining rate of typhoid fever cases in Richmond from 1880 to 1907 but noted several outbreaks of the disease in 1881, 1884 and 1900.
While one cluster of outbreaks in Church Hill was determined to come from a typhoid-infected confectioner, a larger proportion of cases were from properties on the outskirts of the city that generally used well water and lacked sewage systems.
The Richmond School of Social Economy was incorporated April 17th with the following Board of Directors;
Mr. J. J. Scherer, Jr. … President
Mr. Wortley F. Rudd … Vice-President
Miss Virginia S. McKenney ... Secretary
Mr. F. B. Dunford … Treasurer
(Names of board members follows)
Administrative Officers
Mr. J. J. Scherer, Jr., Chairman
Miss Virginia McKenney
Mr. F. B. Dunford
Dr. H. D. C Maclachlan
Mrs. Roy K. Flannagan
Dr. O. L. Hatcher
Father Chas. Hannigan
Dr. F. T. McFaden
Mr. W. F. Rudd
The Richmond School of Social Economy was incorporated April 17th with the following Board of Directors;
Mr. J. J. Scherer, Jr. … President
Mr. Wortley F. Rudd … Vice-President
Miss Virginia S. McKenney ... Secretary
Mr. F. B. Dunford … Treasurer
(Names of board members follows)
Administrative Officers
Mr. J. J. Scherer, Jr., Chairman
Miss Virginia McKenney
Mr. F. B. Dunford
Dr. H. D. C Maclachlan
Mrs. Roy K. Flannagan
Dr. O. L. Hatcher
Father Chas. Hannigan
Dr. F. T. McFaden
Mr. W. F. Rudd