Benjamin Rubin

Benjamin Rubin is an American microbiologist known for inventing the bifurcated vaccination needle, a simple yet highly effective device that dramatically accelerated global vaccination efforts and played a pivotal role in the eradication of smallpox.

Born on September 27, 1917, in New York City, Rubin earned a B.S. in biology-chemistry from the City College of New York, an M.S. in biology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and a Ph.D. in microbiology from Yale University in 1947. After working in various laboratories and academic positions, he joined Wyeth Laboratories, where in 1965 he developed the bifurcated needle by modifying the eyelet of a sewing machine needle into a forked shape capable of holding vaccine between its tines and delivering it with a few pricks. This design used far less vaccine per person than traditional methods and was easy to produce and use in resource-limited settings, making mass immunization campaigns feasible on a global scale.