Jonas Salk: Savior of the WorldPolio is a disease unknown to most people under 20, or even under 30, especially if they live in the United States. In the mid-1950s, polio scared most people. Today, this disease is practically eradicated worldwide. 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 change, the actual name of the disease is polio (Reis, 3). It is an inflammation of the nerve cells in the spinal cord (Reis, 3). Polio cases are increasing every year. 1916 was the first major polio epidemic in the United States; more than 27,000 people were paralyzed and 6,000 people died (Mitka). In 1952, the worst year on record, 57,628 cases were reported, most of them children (Reis, 57). People were afraid to use swimming pools and public places for fear of contracting polio. (online, Mitka) Polio is contracted “hand to mouth by oral ingestion following contact with infected oral secretions or contamination by stools”. (p32-33, Reis) Symptoms like flu, fever, sore throat, stomach ache, headache, and chills were misdiagnosed. President Franklin D. Roosevelt contracted polio and lost the use of his legs. Polio survivors were left 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) The American public and scientific community were frantically searching for a protective vaccine. (p127, Kleiss)Polio can be traced back to ancient Egypt, however, it was not until the early 1900s that the epidemic...... middle of paper ......Happy 50th Birthday , Salk VaccineBy: Mike MitkaMedical News and PerspectivesApril 6, 2005Published onlineJAMA 2005 (Journal of American Medical Association??)Obituary: Jonas SalkBy: RE SpierVaccine 1995Volume 13, Number 16Page 1487People: Jonas E SalkBy: John BealeThe LancetVol 346July 1, 1995Page 46 Splendid Solutions: Jonas Salk and the conquest of polioBy: Jeffrey KlugerG. Son of P. PutnamNew York, NYc. 2004Jonas Salk, microbiologistBy: Ronald A. ReisInfobase PublishingNew York, NYc. 2006Jonas Salk: Discoverer of the Polio VaccineBy: 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