Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), based in Atlanta, Georgia, operates under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Established in 1946, the CDC was initially known as the Communicable Disease Center. It was founded by Dr. Joseph Mountin and evolved from World War II's Malaria Control in War Areas program. During the 1950s, two major health crises helped solidify the CDC's position as an instrument for protecting public health: tracing a contaminated vaccine to a California lab and tracing the 1957 influenza epidemic; interestingly, the CDC's handling of vaccines and influenza today has given rise to intense criticism of the agency's scientific rigor and credibility.

The CDC is credited with eradicating smallpox worldwide by 1977 by embracing a vigorous surveillance program ...