Biography about jonas salk polio pioneers
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Jonas Salk, MD
The New Yorker Who Tamed Polio
Polio threatened children every summer in the first half of the twentieth century. The viral infection spread from individ to person, infecting millions. For 1 in 200 infected, the disease would progress to a paralytic phase, stopping them from breathing. By the 1940s, President Franklin D. Roosevelt — a polio survivor himself — helped the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis raise enough funds to financially support several vaccination efforts.
One of those efforts was led by Jonas Edward Salk, MD. Jonas was the son of Jewish immigrants, and he was born in New York City. As the first person in his family to go to college, Jonas stood out because of his intellect. He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1934 from City College of New York, and his medical degree in 1939 from New York University Medical School. As a physician scientist, Dr. Salk worked with Thomas Francis at the University of Michigan in 1941. (Thomas Franci
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In the early 1950s, 25,000 to 50,000 new cases of polio occurred each year. Jonas Salk (1914–1995) became a national hero when he allayed the fear of the dreaded disease with his polio vaccine, approved in 1955. Although it was the first polio vaccine, it was not to be the last; Albert Bruce Sabin (1906–1993) introduced an oral vaccine in the United States in the 1960s that replaced Salk’s. Although the disease was finally brought beneath control because of these vaccines, the science behind them fired debate that continues to this day.
Polio Season
In the first half of the 20th century, summer was a dreaded time for children. Although they could enjoy the long days of unfettered play, summer was also known as “polio season.” Children were among the most susceptible to paralytic poliomyelitis (also known as infantile paralysis), a disease that affects the central nervous struktur and can result in paralysis. When exposed to a poliovirus in the first months of life, infants usually man
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Abstract
Jonas Salk (October 28, 1914 - June 23, 1995) was an American medical researcher celebrated for his pioneering work in virology, particularly the development of the first successful polio vaccine. This review highlights Salk's multifaceted talent and contributions. His research on the poliovirus led to the creation of the inactivated polio vaccine, proving that it could prevent the disease. In 1955, the discovery of the polio vaccine was a pivotal moment in the fight against poliomyelitis. Salk's contributions are celebrated in the record of medical history, highlighting his impact on modern medicine and public health. As a professor of bacteriology, preventive medicine, and experimental medicine, Salk's scientific journey, from his innovative methods to the creation and widespread use of the inactivated polio vaccine, helped eradicate polio from various parts of the world. His contributions beyond polio, such as his work on the influenza vaccine and the founding of the Sa