British Scientists Develop Bubonic Plague Vaccine

A vaccine for the bubonic plague, the bacteria that caused millions to die from the “Black Death” during the Middle Ages, may be available within the year as the result of a breakthrough at a British Defense Ministry laboratory, according to the London Times (see GSN, April 3, 2002).

Scientists at the laboratory have been working on a vaccine since the 1991 Gulf War when it became apparent that Iraq had been developing huge stocks of chemical and biological warfare agents, including bubonic plague.

The head scientist on the British team, Rick Titball, said that several thousand test subjects would be needed for clinical trials, but that he expects no difficulty in finding enough volunteers “because we have already shown that this is a safe vaccine with no adverse side effects.”

There is an existing vaccine in Australia, but Titball said it “was not particularly effective.” A similar American version was abandoned in 1999 (Michael Evans, London Times, Feb. 19).

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