Foghorn May 12, 2016 Mtg - Author Charlotte Jacobs on Jonas Salk

With the approaching eradication of Polio, thanks to Salk and Rotary, it is a good time to refresh   our memories of Polio.  We reviewed the path of the disease through the nervous system to the end where many wind up drowning in their own fluids.  Known as a summer illness, the population had no idea where it would hit next.  As the years progressed, the number of victims continued to grow.   In 1952, there were 52,000 victims. 

 

Jonas Salk was a Russian, Jewish immigrant. He received his  MD from NY University.  During his early 20s, he became hooked on the idea of coming up with a universal vaccine--there were three types of Polio. It was necessary to collect samples of polio from all over, Salk was the only one who wanted to do that leg work.  By 1955, Salk was able to create a vaccine and became an overnight hero. His  vaccine reduced Polio by 92 %.

 

Salk was a maverick, he went against the leading scientists. The debate became live virus vs dead. The live virus vaccine would take years, Salk believed the dead virus vaccine was better, safer and faster to manufacture. Tomas Francis, was put in charge of the trials. Everything that could go wrong did.  Walter Winchell even claimed the vaccine was a killer. There was an enormous trial--a million participants. It was a blind trial with an army of volunteers made up of doctors, school principals and housewives.

 

Once the results were in, notoriety reigned.  His was face on Time magazine, a postage stamp...  Then the pain came, he lost his anonymity. Stalkers and con artists abounded; he was public property. The scientific community was silent which cast a shadow. The press made him into an international icon and scientific community resented it. He was blackballed from the scientific committee. Because Salk had reached out to the public, some thought he had crossed the line.

 

Polio was reduced by 90%. Sabin tested a live vaccine, Salk was concerned that it could revert and cause polio.  In a risky, political decision, the live virus vaccine won.  Salk was dead by the time his virus was used and the live was abandoned. The Sabin oral vaccine has advantages, but in a third of cases, it causes the virus--just as Salk feared. 

 

Rotary started Polio Plus and has vaccinated people worldwide using volunteers. In 1989 the WHO, CDC joined the effort, and the Gates Foundation joined the fight in 2013. There are 106 cases worldwide now. Rotary made Salk's dream come true.

 

 

What was he like?  Salk was an enigmatic, introspective man who longed to be accepted. He also was an idealist. Fame and loneliness marked his life.

 

What is the current status of the disease?  Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only wild virus areas now, other cases are from the Sabin vaccine.

 

How is it spread?  The virus is shed in stool. This is another reason using the live virus vaccine is such a problem.

 

How do the survivors do long-term?  Victims often have post polio syndrome. They don't have the live virus, but they do have weakness in the areas that were affected.

 

Charlotte's book is available on Amazon.