A War on Disease. Polio Eradication in the United States

Abstract

A War on Disease. Polio Eradication in the United States

This paper investigates how widespread acceptance of the polio vaccination was generated in the United States. It shows that Franklin D. Roosevelt transformed the struggle against polio into a national endeavor and that the fear of polio contributed to the widespread acceptance of the vaccine. The medical researcher Jonas Salk played a key role in fostering public trust in the vaccine. The paper argues that a timely switch from Salk’s inactive vaccine to Albert Sabin’s oral, live vaccine rekindled the national interest in polio and that the war rhetoric on polio further motivated Americans to get vaccinated.