Calmette

Calmette is most commonly associated with Albert Calmette (1863–1933), a French physician and bacteriologist who, together with Camille Guérin, developed the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine for tuberculosis. Working at the Institut Pasteur in Lille, they created an attenuated strain of Mycobacterium bovis through serial passage in culture.

The vaccine, named for the two scientists, was first tested in animals and then in humans in the early 1920s and began to be used clinically in 1921. BCG remains one of the oldest and most widely used vaccines; its effectiveness against pulmonary tuberculosis in adults varies by population, but it provides protection against severe forms of TB such as meningitis in children and is still part of routine vaccination programs in many countries.

In addition to vaccination, BCG is used as an intravesical immunotherapy for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

Calmette's legacy lies primarily in vaccine development and bacteriology; his collaboration with Guérin produced a tool that has saved lives and continues to influence tuberculosis control and cancer therapy.