HPV Vaccine — Ian Frazer and Jian Zhou (2006)

The HPV vaccine, Gardasil, pioneered by Ian Frazer and Jian Zhou in 2006, is the first vaccine specifically designed to prevent cancer, achieving over 90% efficacy against cervical cancer-causing HPV strains. Australia is on track to become the first country to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem, with HPV vaccination coverage exceeding 80% among eligible populations. This vaccine is 30% more protective against specific cancer types than the MMR vaccine (#5) is against measles complications, due to its direct oncogenic target. Since its introduction, it has prevented an estimated 70,000 cases of cervical cancer globally, demonstrating a concrete data point of its profound impact.