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John Beale (virologist) facts for kids

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John Beale
Alan John Beale at the Wellcome Trust in 1970.jpg
At the Wellcome Trust in 1970
Born
Alan John Beale

(1923-07-23)23 July 1923
Sussex
Died 9 December 2005(2005-12-09) (aged 82)
Sissinghurst, Kent,
England
Known for Virologist Pioneering vaccine development
Spouse(s) Rosemary
Children Nick, Liz

Alan John Beale (born July 23, 1923 – died December 9, 2005) was a very important scientist. He was an expert on vaccines and viruses. Vaccines are special medicines that help your body fight off diseases. Viruses are tiny germs that can make you sick.

Dr. Beale worked for a big company called Glaxo. There, he helped start making a very important vaccine. This vaccine was created by another scientist, Jonas Salk, and it fought against a serious disease called polio. Polio used to make many people, especially children, very sick or unable to move.

Discovering Viruses and Helping People

Alan John Beale was a virologist. This means he studied viruses. His work helped us understand how to prevent and treat many illnesses.

Working in Toronto

In 1958, Dr. Beale led a team of scientists. They were working at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. Their goal was to find out what caused a common illness called croup.

What is Croup?

Croup is a breathing problem that mostly affects young children. It makes them cough a lot and have a noisy, high-pitched breath. Dr. Beale's team found some of the viruses that cause croup. This discovery was a big step in helping doctors understand and treat the illness better.

Making Polio Vaccine

One of Dr. Beale's most important jobs was making the polio vaccine. This vaccine helped protect millions of children around the world from polio. It was a huge effort to produce enough vaccine for everyone who needed it.

  • He helped set up the large-scale production of the vaccine.
  • This meant making huge amounts of the vaccine in factories.
  • His work made sure that many people could get vaccinated and stay healthy.

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