Westerly Poliomyelitis

About Westerly Poliomyelitis

The 1949 polio outbreak in the US was one of the worst before vaccine availability. Approximately 42,000 cases were reported, with 2,720 deaths. The outbreak peaked in summer, characteristic of polio season. Fear was pervasive. Swimming pools, movie theaters, and playgrounds closed. Some towns barred entry to travelers from affected areas. The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, with its March of Dimes campaign, funded research including Jonas Salks work. The iron lung, developed in the late 1920s, kept paralyzed patients alive. At the peak, hospital wards had rows of iron lungs. Salk began testing his killed virus vaccine in 1952, and the 1954 Francis field trial, involving about 1.8 million children, was one of the largest medical trials ever conducted. The vaccine was declared safe and effective on April 12, 1955, coincidentally the tenth anniversary of Franklin Roosevelts death. The announcement was celebrated nationally with church bells ringing. US polio cases fell sharply within a few years of the start of vaccination.