Storiascopio · Era 12 of 12 · lower secondary year 3
The polio vaccine
1955 · Pittsburgh, United States
In short
Polio is a disease caused by a virus that struck mainly children and could leave them paralysed. The American doctor Jonas Salk, at the University of Pittsburgh, prepared a vaccine with inactivated viruses, made harmless. In 1954 it was tested on almost two million children, and on 12 April 1955 it was announced that it worked. Salk chose not to patent it. A few years later Albert Sabin created a vaccine to be taken by mouth, often on a sugar lump.
Why it matters Thanks to vaccines polio has almost disappeared from the world, and it has not circulated in Europe since 2002.
Source: World Health Organization (WHO), “Poliomyelitis”
Where we are in the era “Today”
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1953Event 2 of 252022
Your turn
Name ______________________ Class ______ Date __________
When did it happen? Find the date at the top and write it here:
Tell it in your own words: what happened?
Draw the scene below.
storiascopio.com/en/event/the-polio-vaccine/ · free worksheet, you may photocopy it for your class