[Albert Calmette: celebrating the 150th anniversary of his birth]

Albert Calmette (1863-1933) left a major legacy, ranging from basic research to practical medical applications. His initial work focused on antivenimous serum therapy, as well as the creation of Pasteur Institutes outside France. But his greatest achievement is the discovery of the BCG vaccine, in conjunction with Camille Guerin. This was a major advance at a time when tuberculosis was a veritable scourge, responsible for the deaths of thousands of children each year. He also pioneered early TB control in the field. The validity of BCG vaccination was not called into question despite the Lubeck drama, that he bravely affronted in 1931.