What was the exact date of the first human rabies vaccination by Pasteur?

The first human rabies vaccination by Pasteur took place on 6 July 1885. The recipient was nine-year-old Joseph Meister, an Alsatian boy who had been bitten repeatedly by a dog believed to be rabid.

At the time, rabies was almost invariably fatal after symptoms appeared. Pasteur had not yet tested his treatment in humans, but experiments in dogs and rabbits suggested that progressively weakened preparations of the rabies agent could train the body to resist infection. Physician Jacques-Joseph Grancher administered the first injection, with Pasteur directing the experimental course.

Meister received a series of injections over several days, using material prepared from infected rabbit spinal cords and progressively strengthened. He survived without developing rabies, making the case a landmark in the history of post-exposure treatment.

The date is often confused with 5 July, when Meister arrived in Paris and Pasteur’s team assessed him. The vaccination began on 6 July. Pasteur later presented the results to the French Academy of Sciences in March 1886.