Scientific Breakthroughs of the 1930s and 1940s
A CDC scientist injects influenza virus into an egg to grow the virus. This technique still used to grow influenza viruses today was first discovered by Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet in the 1930s.
Groundbreaking Scientific Progress
“…A series of experiments that seem likely to mark the opening of a new, and perhaps a decisive, stage in the study of influenza in man”. – W.W.C. Topley, The Lancet, 1933
While it is debatable whether the influenza pandemic was forgotten by the rest of the world, that was not so for the scientific community. In the wake of the 1918 influenza pandemic, many scientists searched for the microorganism that caused the pandemic. After the discovery of the influenza virus in 1933, influenza research advanced by leaps and bounds. Discoveries such as the virus’ ability to grow well in embryotic fluid of chicken eggs and researchers’ ability to inactivate the virus for vaccines, pushed the boundaries of influenza research. Scientific advancements in the 1930s and 1940s set the stage for influenza science advancements well into the 21st century.