Today is World Polio Day, a day to honor the man who helped to virtually eradicate the crippling disease. Dr. Jonas Salk invented the Polio vaccine that was first used in 1955. Before that Americans lived in fear of the infectious and crippling disease.
Thanks to the vaccine, polio has been nearly wiped off the planet but there are still a few places in the world where children contract the disease.
As long as polio exists anywhere, it is a threat to children everywhere. The progress that we’ve made is thanks to the heroic efforts of health workers, governments, partners, and donors who are working to reach every child.
This short video appears to be student-made but is a well-done synopsis of the polio outbreak and how it affected families around the world. It also looks at the difficult treatment options at the time.
The polio vaccine was nothing short of a miracle. Vaccinate your kids.