Louis Pasteur developed the first vaccine for which disease?

Louis Pasteur is credited with developing the first vaccine for rabies, which he created in 1885. His work in microbiology led to the development of this vaccine following his experiments that demonstrated the principles of vaccination, particularly using weakened forms of the pathogen. Pasteur’s rabies vaccine was significant as it provided a method to prevent this otherwise fatal disease after a bite from a rabid animal, highlighting the practical application of germ theory in medicine. This marked a pivotal moment in immunology, demonstrating how vaccination could be used to protect against infectious diseases.

In contrast, the smallpox vaccine was developed by Edward Jenner in the late 18th century, and the polio vaccine was developed much later in the 20th century by Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin. Tuberculosis vaccine development occurred with the BCG vaccine, which became available in the 1920s. Each of these diseases was addressed by different scientists, making Pasteur's contribution to rabies distinct and pivotal to the history of vaccines.