In 1963, Prof. Blumberg discovered the hepatitis B virus and in 1965, published his discovery. In 1966, he proposed the relationship between the ‘Australian antigen’ and acute viral hepatitis might be transmitted through transfusion. Blumberg and his team proposed to use hemophiliac patients to create a vaccine, and researchers at Merck & Co believed that this proposal could be instrumental in finding a vaccine. After getting the green light from his company, Blumberg began research on the hepatitis B vaccine in 1971. After countless researches and tests, a vaccine was eventually successfully produced from a surface antigen for hepatitis B. The vaccine provided more than 90% immunity for hepatitis B, and a plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine was later approved in 1981.