Poliovaccine Policy—Time for a Change

Abstract

The history of the elimination of polio from the United States began in 1949 with the landmark achievement by Enders, Robbins, and Weller of the isolation and growth of polioviruses in cell culture systems. Within 5 years, Jonas Salk had developed and successfully tested his inactivated polio virus vaccine (IPV) incorporating all three serotypes in a formalin-heat inactivated preparation. After the successful Francis Field trial in April 1955, widespread programs for immunization were begun throughout the United States. Over the succeeding 4 years the success in marked reduction of polio each summer and autumn resulted in annual totals of fewer than 2000 paralytic patients in contrast to the previous tolls of 25 000 each year.