In August 1962, President John F. Kennedy gave a televised press conference acknowledging Dr. Frances Kelsey’s work on the drug, thalidomide. At least several thousand children in Europe were affected by the drug, but thanks to Kelsey's work, a similar tragedy was prevented here in the U.S. Her work triggered additional safeguards at the FDA, including more than doubling the number of FDA staff, as well as requiring scientific clinical trials for drug effectiveness in future drug applications. D

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