As the world battles #COVID19, and is desperately waiting for a vaccine...let's look back at a historic milestone on April 12, 1955.

It was on this day 65 years ago, when American virologist Dr Jonas Salk, announced his discovery of the first effective #PolioVaccine.

#JonasSalk

"The field trial set up to test the Salk vaccine was... "the most elaborate program of its kind in history, involving 20,000 physicians and public health officers, 64,000 school personnel, and 220,000 volunteers." Over 1.8 million schoolchildren took part in the trial."

"News was made public of the vaccine's success on April 12, 1955, and Salk was hailed as a "miracle worker" and the day almost became a national holiday. An immediate rush to vaccinate began around the world, with countries beginning polio immunization campaigns..."

"Salk campaigned for mandatory vaccination, claiming that public health should be considered a "moral commitment".

In 1960, he founded the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California, which is today a center for medical and scientific research."

"Salk preferred not to have his career as a scientist affected by too much personal attention, as he had always tried to remain independent and private in his research and life, but this proved to be impossible."

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonas_Salk 

""Young man, a great tragedy has befallen you—you've lost your anonymity", the television personality Ed Murrow said to Salk shortly after the onslaught of media attention."

Salk didn't patent the vaccine.

"When Murrow asked him, "Who owns this patent?", Salk replied, "Well, the people I would say. There is no patent. Could you patent the sun?" The vaccine is calculated to be worth $7 billion had it been patented."

#JonasSalk #Polio #PolioVaccine