As everyone around the globe is anxiously waiting for the Covid-19 vaccine to be launched, April 12 in year 1955 was of historic significance in the field of virology and vaccine development.
It was the announcement of the successful trial of the polio vaccine developed by Dr. Jonas Salk, which garnered hope among people worldwide, especially in America.
They had just experienced the most devastating Polio outbreak in the history of the country in the year 1952 which infected 58,000 people, killing more than 3000 and paralysing 21,000, majority being children. As the Time magazine reported, parents were haunted by the stories of the children stricken suddenly by cramps and fever. Public swimming pools were deserted for fears of contagion and thousands of people would be rushed to hospitals and come out in wheelchairs year after year.
In 1947, Dr Salk took a position at University of Pittsburgh where he began conducting research on Polio, also known as Infantile Paralysis. Jonas Stalk’s efforts were supported by “The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis”, which he joined in 1949, now known as “March of Dimes”. The organisation was founded by President Franklin, on January 3, 1938, as a response to the epidemic and FDR’s own struggle with the controlling the disease, diagnosed back in 1921.
By 1951, Salk had determined that there were three distinct types of Polio Viruses and was able to develop a “Killed Virus” vaccine for the disease. To make this vaccine, a live polio virus would be injected in Monkey’s kidney which would quickly multiply and then formaldehyde was used to kill the virus before injecting it into the humans.
During its initial testing, the most pertinent safety feature about Salk’s Vaccine centred around the potential danger of infecting humans with monkey tissues. But the traces of monkey kidney present in each doses of the vaccine were so minute that they posed no health risks, as Salk told the New York Times back then. However, one of the labs licensed to produce the vaccine accidentally contaminated the batch with live Polio Virus which killed 5 people and paralysed 51.
The preliminary trials of the polio vaccines began in 1952 mostly on children. It soon became one of the largest clinical trials in medical history. Roughly, 1.8 million children were given the vaccine during the test phase. In 1953, Salk administered the experimental vaccine to himself, his wife and his sons.
When the vaccine was approved for the general used in 1955, Salk became a National Hero. President Dwight. D. Eisenhower gave him a special citation at a ceremony held in Whitehouse. The Vaccine continued to be the lifesaver. By 1962, the cases dropped to fewer than 1000. And now, with the Global Polio Eradication Programme, it has almost been eradicated from the world by the end of 2017. It remains endemic in only three countries, namely, Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan. Dr Salk never patented the vaccine as he believed it belonged to People.
Dr. Salk further launched his own research organisation known as the Salk Centre for Biological Studies in 1963 which focused on multiple sclerosis and Cancer. He served as centre director until 1975 and became its founding director continuing research in Aids and HIV later in his career.
Franklin D Roosevelt who died in 1945 did not live to see Dr Salk develop and test the first Successful Polio Vaccine in 1955. Why was April 12, 1955 was chosen for the announcement of the vaccine? It was the death anniversary of FDR and what could have been a better tribute to him for his role and support in the research and trials of the first successful Polio vaccine.
