Doctor Emilie G. C. Thompson claims her grandfather created the hepatitis B vaccine. She watches his legacy unravel. The first Heptavax-B vaccine article by Merck Sharp & Dohme was approved by the FDA in November 1981[1][2][3]. In 1986, a recombinant version of Recombivax-HB was introduced[1][3]. In 1991, a CDC advisory panel recommended vaccination of all newborns with the first dose before discharge from the hospital[1][3]. The vaccine is considered the first anti-cancer vaccine because it prevents liver cancer[2]. Chronic hepatitis B and C cause 80% of all liver cancer cases in the world[2].