x oid ▁was ▁prepared ) ▁used ▁a ▁culture ▁far ▁more ▁s oph istic ated ▁than ▁commer cially ▁available ▁options , ▁and ▁yield ed ▁a ▁more ▁pot ent ▁to x oid ▁which ▁was ▁free ▁of ▁any ▁negative ▁side - effect s . ▁Taylor ' s ▁work ▁during ▁this ▁time ▁led ▁to ▁her ▁being ▁awarded ▁the ▁Order ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Empire ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁war . ▁ ▁Ty ph us ▁ ▁Ty ph us ▁is ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁inf ect ious ▁b acter ial ▁dise ases ▁often ▁spread ▁through ▁l ice , ▁fle as , ▁and ▁mit es . ▁Ty ph us ▁fe ver , ▁spread ▁by ▁the ▁body ▁l ouse , ▁had ▁rav aged ▁both ▁the ▁military ▁and ▁civil ian ▁populations ▁of ▁Eastern ▁Europe ▁throughout ▁W WI ▁and ▁continued ▁to ▁pl ague ▁the ▁European ▁popul ace . ▁While ▁no ▁ty ph us ▁v acc ine ▁was ▁available ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁W W II , ▁there ▁had ▁been ▁prom ising ▁research ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Public ▁Health ▁Service ▁and ▁the ▁Harvard ▁School ▁of ▁Public ▁Health . ▁At ▁Con n aught ▁Labor ator ies , ▁James ▁Craig ie ▁launched ▁a ▁feder ally ▁supported ▁research ▁program ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁seeking ▁to ▁build ▁on ▁these ▁find ings . ▁Their ▁efforts ▁cul min ated ▁in ▁a ▁much ▁rich er ▁b acter ial ▁culture ▁and ▁an ▁improved ▁ ether - based ▁pur ification ▁method ▁which ▁lay ▁the ▁found ations ▁for ▁a ▁large - scale ▁v acc ine ▁production ▁program ▁in ▁August ▁ 1