Poliomyelitis is a “highly contagious viral infection that can lead to paralysis, respiratory problems, and even death caused by the poliovirus.”1 The virus is highly contagious and specific to humans. The first outbreak of polio in the United States occurred in 1894 with more than 132 reported cases. The number of infected people throughout the United States increased rapidly after the first epidemic with thousands being affected every year after the first onset.2 Thousands of people in the United States were affected by the virus before Dr. Jonas Salk found the vaccine for Poliomyelitis.
Dr. Jonas Salk was born on October 28, 1914, just as World War I was beginning, and four years before the great influenza pandemic of 1918-1919. In 1916 influenza and polio began killing children and the elderly in large numbers.3 Salk’s brilliance could be seen at a young age. When he began school at the age of five, he was very eager to learn, and was able to skip ahead a few grades. Salk described his early years as “the life of an only child, having full attention of a doting, controlling mother who wanted to be sure that her child is protected and will grow up to be a worthwhile person.”4 Salk’s mother could not have done a better job. Dr. Jonas Salk began conducting research on viruses in the 1930s as a student at New York University. After graduating from New York University, Salk attended the University of Michigan. At the University of Michigan, Dr. Salk began working on a flu vaccine, for which he is now known as one of the key contributors to the development of the flu vaccine during World War II. By the 1950s, he was awarded a grant to “study the polio virus and develop a possible vaccine.”5 Dr. Salk had devised a version of the polio vaccine immediately after obtaining the grant. He began clinical trials in which he “was to kill several strains of the virus and then inject the benign viruses into a healthy person’s bloodstream.” 6 This was attempted at first by various other scientists before it was perfected by Dr. Salk. This was successful because the person’s immune system in which it was injected would soon begin to form antibodies towards the virus, which would help in resistance with future exposure to polio.
Before the vaccine was developed and made widely available to the public, many researchers developed alternative ways to help control the symptoms of polio. Sister Kenny, an Australian nurse, came to the United States to promote a treatment she had developed specifically for polio. This treatment consisted of the use of warm compresses to relax contracting muscles. Another invention was that of the “iron lung,” which was developed to aid in respiration. Some of the main symptoms of polio are swallowing and respiratory difficulties, so the “iron lung” was developed to help alleviate some of the respiratory problems people with polio were experiencing.7
On March 26, 1953, Dr. Salk was able to announce his findings on the polio vaccine. The news was quickly published in articles and newspapers and announced on the radio. In 1954, clinical trials began testing on approximately two million American schoolchildren. It was not until April of 1955 that it was announced that the vaccine was indeed effective and could be manufactured. It took about two years for the vaccine to become widely available throughout the United States. Within the first year that the polio vaccine became available the number of cases per year decreased dramatically. Polio, along with many other viral diseases, has no cure. The vaccine that was manufactured was intended to prevent others from contracting the virus. With polio, prevention is the key. Albert Sabin, a Polish-American researcher, was able to facilitate the distribution of the vaccine by developing an oral vaccine.8
For the current year 2016, only about seventy cases of poliomyelitis have been reported, and only two countries remain polio-endemic.9 About 90-95% of the reported cases are asymptomatic, meaning no symptoms are present. This has been made possible because of Dr. Salk and all of the researchers that put their time and effort into discovering the vaccine to prevent poliomyelitis.
- Bernard Seytre and Mary M. Shaffer, “Coming Along at the Right Time: Jonas Salk,” in The Death of a Disease : A History of the Eradication of Poliomyelitis (New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 2005), 44. ↵
- Scott S. Smith, “Jonas Salk Stood Tall With His Polio Vaccine Rescue: The Chemist Came through in Paralysis Battle,” Investor’s Business Daily, July 17, 2015. ↵
- Scott S Smith, “Jonas Salk Stood Tall With His Polio Vaccine Rescue: The Chemist Came through in Paralysis Battle,” Investor’s Business Daily, July 17, 2015. ↵
- Charlotte DeCroes Jacobs, Jonas Salk: A Life, 1st edition (Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press, 2015), 36. ↵
- Scott S. Smith, “Jonas Salk Stood Tall With His Polio Vaccine Rescue: The Chemist Came through in Paralysis Battle,” Investor’s Business Daily, July 17, 2015. ↵
- Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia, 2015, s.v. “Jonas Salk,” by Elof Axel Carlson. ↵
- Charlotte DeCroes Jacobs, Jonas Salk: A Life, 1st edition (Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press, 2015), 45. ↵
- Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia, 2015, s.v. “Jonas Salk,” by Elof Axel Carlson. ↵
- Seytre and Shaffer, “Coming Along at the Right Time: Jonas Salk,” in The Death of a Disease : A History of the Eradication of Poliomyelitis, 44. ↵
65 comments
Alondra Aviles
The contribution of Dr. Salk is no doubt an incredible contribution to those in the medical field and society itself. The onset of polio is very dangerous and luckily very rare, with modern advancements in medicine. The importance of vaccination, is clearly portrayed but not outwardly stated. Epidemic outbreaks are no longer a danger due to the extensive research done on viruses and animals that could potentially place the human population in danger. The article was very clear and concise, giving enough information about the dangers of polio and the incredible work of Dr. Salk.
Samman Tyata
It was a really interesting article to read. The work of Dr. Jonas Salk is praise-worthy because he came up with a cure for Polio in a very short period of time that saved millions of people all around the world. Learning alternative ways to help control the symptoms of polio is something new I have learned. Apart from that, I think the article should have had details about the doses and the time that it should be taken.To sum it up, it was an informative, and interesting read.
Josselyn Arrieta-Meraz
I have always had an interest in this era where so many people were affected by polio, all the deaths, the suffering and the resignation knowing that there would most likely not be a cure for such disease anytime soon. The fact that Dr. Salk found a cure really does bring faith back to humanity and science. His dedication towards this issue allows others to get inspired and get that sense of hope that there is a cure to other diseases out there. The fact that you hear about Polio a disease that impacted millions of families and individuals, but you never actually think about that hero that was able to control such disease. It really gives it that nice ending to such a sad and memorable time in history.
Mario Sosa
I find it almost hard to imagine a time where a contagious disease in the U.S. could paralysis you. Quite astonishing how Jonas Salk was solely responsible for successfully eradicating polio from the U.S. If it was not for Dr. Salk, I wonder how much longer it would have taken for someone else to have discovered a vaccine for polio. Great job on the article, nicely done!
Ana Gonzalez
Great job! Your article was organized, well-researched and easy to read. It’s amazing how through hard work and dedication, Dr. Salk was able to develop a vaccine that prevents Polio. Without his research, thousands of people would have probably died and many more countries would have to worry about polio. I also think its crazy how he was allowed to test the new vaccine on children, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
Thank you for your article, Good job!
Zaraly Frasquillo
Amazing! This article gives me hope that someday all viruses will be gone. I did not necessarily have prior knowledge on the Polio virus. I had heard of it but I had never really done any research on it. Thanks to your well-written article, I now know about Dr.Salk, someone who I don’t think receives much praise but should. Your article is different from the rest of the articles on the blog, thank you.
Alyssa Valdez
I found this article amazing! I thought it was very well organized and I love the topic as well. I think it is very important topic that needs to be discussed more than it is. I am currently do an essay, I thought your article has an amazing tie to it! I was not aware of who Dr. Stalk but after reading the article I am completely amazed!
Gabriela Serrato
It is stories like this one that give me hope that all illnesses will soon be curable or at least prevented. I cannot imagine what the world would be like today if Dr. Salk had not discovered this vaccination. It is inspiring that it only takes one individual person to make such a discovery that saves millions of lives. Stories like this also excite me for what medical discoveries are to come within the next few years and the duration of my lifetime.
Cameron Mays
This article was done in a quite a more modern history time compared to most other articles on this site, and covers quite a different topic, because of this, I was quite intrigued and drawn to the article, so that’s good on your part. It seems somewhat short though and I wish you would’ve added more things in the essay because it’s quite interesting.
Mario De Leon
This was a very interesting article. I did not know a lot about poliomyelitis until I read this article and it was very descriptive. I did not know that the disease was high contagious. It is remarkable the accomplishments of Dr. Stalk and the researchers that found a vaccination for polio. What they accomplished changed humanity and saved a lot of people’s lives.