Jonas Salk: Savior of the World Polio is a disease unknown to most people under the age of 20, perhaps even under 30, especially if they live in the United States. In the mid-1950s, polio caused fear in the hearts of most people. Fast forward to today, this disease is essentially eradicated in the world. Dr. Jonas Salk is credited with developing the vaccine to prevent this disease. THESIS: The injectable Salk vaccine was used for several years until it was replaced by the oral Sabin vaccine, however, as times progressed, the current name of the disease is polio (Reis, 3). It is an inflammation of the nerve cells of the spinal cord (Reis, 3). Polio cases increased every year. 1916 was the first major polio epidemic in the United States; over 27,000 people were paralyzed and 6,000 died (Mitka). In 1952, the worst year ever, 57,628 cases were reported, mostly children (Reis, 57). People were afraid to use public swimming pools and public places for fear of contracting polio. (online, Mitka) Polio is contracted “from the mouth through oral ingestion from contact with infected oral secretions or fecal contamination.” (p32-33, Reis) Symptoms such as flu, fever, sore throat, stomach upset, headache, and chills have been misdiagnosed. President Franklin D. Roosevelt contracted polio and lost the use of his legs. Polio survivors found themselves with leg braces or forced to live in an iron lung. (online, Mitka) The effects of polio were devastating: paralysis and even death. (online, Mitka) Both the American public and the scientific community were frantically searching for a protective vaccine. (p127, Kleiss) Polio can be traced back to ancient Egypt, however, it wasn't until the early 1900s that the epidemic...... middle of paper ......Happy 50th Birthday, Salk VaccineBy: Mike MitkaMedical News and Perspectives6 April 2005Published onlineJAMA 2005 (Journal of American Medical Association??)Obituary: Jonas SalkBy: RE SpierVaccine 1995Volume 13, Number 16Page 1487People: Jonas E SalkBy: John BealeThe LancetVol 3461 July 1995Page 46Splen did Solutions : Jonas Salk and the Conquest of Polio by: Jeffrey Kluger G. P. Putnam's SonsNew York, New York. 2004Jonas Salk, microbiologistBy: Ronald A. ReisInfobase PublishingNew York, NYc. 2006Jonas Salk: Discoverer of the Polio VaccineEdited by: Carmen BredsonEnslow Publishers, Inc.Hillside, NJc. 1993Jonas Salk: Creator of the Polio VaccineBy: Salvatore TocciEnslow Publishers, Inc.Berkeley Heights, NJc. 2003About Jonas SalkSalk Institute for Biological StudiesTuesday, November 26, 2013http://www.salk.edu/about/jonas_salk.html