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History of the vaccine in Turkey

dBSPL

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Studies for the production of vaccines in our country began in the Ottoman Empire Period. Lady Mary Montagu, the wife of the British Ambassador of that time wrote to his country, she declared with astonishment that "something called vaccination" (variation method) was done against smallpox in Istanbul, in his letter at 1721. This letter is the oldest document on vaccine production.

Pasteur, who was carrying out vaccine production studies in 19th century, wrote letters for asked financial contributions to the heads of the period in order to continue his studies. When one of the letters reached 2. Abdulhamit; he approached this studies positively. He had promised to provide the help Pasteur wanted in return for if his studies continue in Istanbul. When this offer is not accepted by Pasteur, the second offer is created, Abdulhamit presents 10,000 gold (in some sources, it is 800 lira, about 180-200 house money in Istanbul) and Medjidie Medal to Pasteur. On the other hand, he asked him to accept 3 Ottoman doctors as an assistant and specialize them.

Under the presidency of prelector from the Mekteb-i Tıbbiye-i Militaryye-i Şâhâne, Alexander Zoeros Pasha, Dr. Hüseyin Remzi and Veterinary Hüseyin Hüsnü are decided to be sent.

Later, this team returns to the Ottoman Empire with an injected bone marrow to “rabies microbe” as the basis for theirs work. In January 1887, Daûl-Kelp and Bacteriology Operating Room (Rabies Treatment Institution) was established in the clinic of Zoeros Pasha. This institution has become the third rabies center in the world and the first rabies center in the east. Later, this center also produced diphtheria serum.

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Bacteriology House
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Telkihhane (Smallpox Vaccine Production Center)
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1885 - the law was introduced in the Ottoman Empire for the first time in the world for the application of smallpox vaccines.
1885 - the first rabies vaccine was found in the world. The Rabies vaccine was brought to the Ottomans in early January of 1887. The first rabies vaccine was produced in Mekteb-i Tıbbiye-i Militaryye-i Şahane.
1887 - Rabies Treatment Organization was established.
1892 - bacteriology house was established.
1892 - first vaccine production clinic was established.
1896 - diphtheria 1897 - cattle plague 1903 - scarlet fever serums produced by Veterinarian Mustafa Adil (1871-1904).
1911 - typhoid, 1913 - cholera, dysentery and plague vaccines were prepared and implemented for the first time in Turkey.
1927 - tuberculosis vaccine production started in Turkey.
1927 - first produced BCG vaccine and package insert

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1931 - tetanus and diphtheria vaccines have been produced locally.
1937 - rabies serum started to be produced.
1940 - Vaccine was produced and sent to China for the cholera epidemic.
1942 - Typhus vaccine and scorpion serum production started.
1947 - Biological Control Laboratory was established.
1950 - Turkish Influenza laboratory was recognized by the World Health Organization as the International Regional Influenza (flu) Center and influenza vaccine production started.
1976 - Experimental production of dry BCG vaccine started.
1983 - Production of dry BCG vaccine started.

Animal and human vaccines continued to be produced under difficult conditions during Turkish War of Independence. After the occupation of Istanbul, the vaccine center was moved to Eskişehir and then to Kırşehir. In the same period, the vaccine continued to be produced in Afyon. Serum laboratory in Erzurum moved to Aleppo, Niğde, Sivas and Erzincan during the Russian occupation. Vaccines were produced in Kastamonu.

Similar production continued in the Republican period, and production was centralized in 1928 with the Institute of Hıfzısıhha.

Until the 1940s, typhoid, typhoid, diphtheria, BCG, cholera, pertussis, tetanus, rabies vaccines were created by mass production. Tetanus, gas gangrene, diphtheria, rabies, anthrax scorpion serums were also produced in the serum farm established in 1968. With the disappearance of diseases in the country, typhus production in 1971 and smallpox vaccine production ended in 1980.

Since the beginning of the first vaccine production and application in the Ottoman Empire, vaccine logistics, implementation of vaccines and prevention of diseases have been carried out by the State free of charge.

In the 2000s, interest in vaccine production in Turkey increased again.While Pentavalent Vaccine (DaBT-IPV-Hib) was purchased in 2009 and quadvalent vaccine (DaBT-IPV) was purchased for 3 years in 2011, its technology was gradually brought to our country.

In 2010, pneumonia vaccine (KPA-Conjugated Pneumococcus) was also brought to our country in addition to packaging and formulation technology in our country for a 3-year purchase guarantee. Scorpio and snake antisera are still produced by a local company. In 2015, tetanus and diphtheria vaccines were planned to be made gradually with antigen production. And antigen produced completely nationally in 2019.

***

My reason for writing the short summary above is that if we take into account the current epidemic we are in, a lesson must be learned. Turkey was one of the three countries in the whole world that can produce its vaccine in the 1800s. However, it has gradually lost this ability, and now, has been trying to regain this ability since the 2000s.

In the first years of the republic (after the great war in which millions of people died) we were producing 22 kinds of vaccines and we were helping many countries, including China. We produced the domestic vaccine for diphtheria and tetanus 90 years ago. So now? We succeeded again in 2019. Like a joke...

Like biopolitics, bioterrorism terms will be on the agenda of world in the near future. Just as in the field of defense industry, activities in these areas should be seen as a part of national security.
 
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Very interesting stuff. I'm sure 99% of the people in Turkey didn't know about this, me included. Thanks for the share @dBSPL
 
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