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Polio Vaccine Salk
About Polio Vaccine Salk
Jonas Salk developed the first polio vaccine using inactivated poliovirus. The vaccine was announced on April 12, 1955, the 10th anniversary of President Roosevelts death. The Salk vaccine was tested in the largest clinical trial in history, involving 1.8 million children. When asked who owned the patent, Salk replied, Could you patent the sun? The vaccine was immediately licensed to multiple manufacturers. A production error at Cutter Laboratories caused 200 polio cases and 10 deaths, temporarily halting vaccination. After the incident was resolved, polio vaccination resumed. US polio cases fell from tens of thousands a year in the early 1950s to fewer than 100 by 1965. Salk became an international hero. He later founded the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California.
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