Walter Werner Holland: pioneer of European public health

During national service with the Royal Air Force, Walter was posted to the Central Public Health Laboratory Service to work on vaccines against adenoviruses, but, in what would prove a serendipitous mistake, the manufacturers inadvertently destroyed a batch of vaccine, and he was offered the chance to investigate the 1957 influenza epidemic. Influencing hospital design The first part of Walter's career focused on chronic disease and, in particular, respiratory disease in children. When he retired there were 27 senior academics around the world who had spent substantial time in his unit and another 43 who held senior posts in government departments or international organisations such as the World Health Organisation or World Bank.