It is often difficult to understand the impact of an historical experience when you look at it in the abstract. Consider one of the biggest health scares of the 20th century in America: the Polio Epidemic.
For most of us, the polio vaccine is just one of the many vaccines given to us as children. But between the early 1900’s through the 1950’s, Polio was one of the most feared diseases in the U.S.. Your parents and/or grandparents probably remember it well.
Poliomyelitis was responsible for thousands of deaths, mainly children, and even more cases of permanent paralysis, leaving it’s victims with a characteristic deformity for the rest of their lives. It was spread easily through unsanitary contact, and by the time the polio epidemic reached it’s peak, it’s impact was being felt in all corners of society.
In an effort to stop the polio epidemic, the government forced closures of public gathering places such as schools, swimming pools, and movie theaters. Families began to take extreme measures to protect their children, such as keeping them indoors or taking them out of the city during the summer months to reduce the chance of infection. The impact of the thousands afflicted with polio put tremendous emotional and financial strain on families as medical care was costly.
Finally, in 1955, an American scientist named Jonas Salk developed a vaccine that would prevent polio infection, and the fear that had gripped families began to recede. But the nation would never again look at disease the same way, and many families were changed forever by the horrible specter of polio.
If you have the chance, ask your parents or grandparents how the polio epidemic impacted their own lives. Sometimes a few questions can provide a better understanding of a historical event and it’s true cost to a family.
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Polio Epidemic
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Polio Epidemic
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Polio Epidemic
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