Long title | An Act to regulate the sale of viruses, serums, toxins, and analogous products in the District of Columbia; to regulate interstate traffic in said articles, and for other purposes. |
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Nicknames | Virus-Toxin Law |
Enacted by | the 57th United States Congress |
Effective | July 1, 1902 |
Citations | |
Public law | 57-244 |
Statutes at Large | 32 Stat. 728, Chapter 1378 |
Legislative history | |
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The Biologics Control Act of 1902, also known as the Virus-Toxin Law, was the first law that implemented federal regulations of biological products such as vaccines in the United States.[1] It was enacted in response to two incidents involving the deaths of 22 children who had contracted tetanus from contaminated vaccines.[2] This law paved the way for further regulation of drug products under the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938. Biologics control is now under the supervision of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).[3]