While the polio vaccine is often referred as the ultimate example of a vaccine that eradicated a terrible disease, polio. But in fact, the science and history of this vaccine has an interesting story. October 24th, 2016 is World Polio Day and this article will unravel the history lying behind the invention of polio vaccine. Poliomyelitis has been around ancient times that spread its devastation across the globe.
This infectious viral disease attacks the nerve cells and sometimes the central nervous system, often causing muscle wasting and paralysis and even death. The transmission of this virus during ancient times was suggested after the studies on Egyptian mummies, which showed a shortening of a lower limb in a child. An American virologist, Jonas Salk developed the first effective vaccine against polio. Salk not only made the vaccine but also did not patent it so as to make it…
