Polio.
Just the word itself struck fear in the hearts of Americans in the early 50’s. The largest public health hazard in the history of our country was infecting over 50,000 people a year and was considered the biggest threat after the atomic bomb. Most of its victims were children.
Enter Jonas Salk.
Determined and dedicated, he set himself not only the task of identifying the various polio virus’s but eradicating the disease.
When his vaccine was revealed in 1955 it was hailed as a miracle cure, yet there had been seven years of research and over 2 million volunteers, (including 1.8 million school children) that helped bring it to the public.
Like any grand vision it did not come easy, and it was the outcome of extensive research and experimentation.
Hard work and teamwork go hand in hand.
