Short answers, pulled from the story.
The resulting vaccine became widely available in the United States in 1963 after Maurice Hilleman further refined it at Merck. This followed three years of research where scientists grew the virus in human kidney tissue and chick embryo cultures to create an attenuated strain.
John Enders and Thomas C. Peebles took samples from this child to begin their work on the pathogen. They successfully grew the virus in human kidney tissue and later in chick embryo cultures over three years of research.
Before these breakthroughs, more than two million people died annually from the infection worldwide. The virus spreads through coughs and sneezes as airborne droplets that remain infectious for up to two hours.
Small white spots known as Koplik spots form inside the mouth two or three days after symptom onset. Initial signs include fever often greater than 40 degrees Celsius, cough, runny nose, and inflamed eyes.
The rash changes color from red to dark brown before disappearing because it is caused by the cellular and humoral immune system clearing infected skin cells. A red flat rash usually starts on the face before spreading to the rest of the body three to five days later.