The Discovery Of The Polio Vaccine - 1963 Words

Ashley Anderson Professor Giunta CHS 113-01 23 April 2017 In this term paper the discovery of the Polio vaccine will be discussed and broken down into deeper thought on why and how it was discovered. Poliomyelitis is an infectious disease that reached epidemic levels in the mid twentieth century. People that were unfortunate to receive this disease faced hardships including fevers, sore throat and vomiting(Allaby). These are just symptoms but Polio can be a vicious disease leaving their patients paralyzed. The majority of people who are diagnosed with Polio don’t get paralyzed right away or die suddenly. The symptoms are very similar to any other sickness and people who are newly diagnosed do not†¦show more content†¦These other scientists include Thomas Francis, Jr. who Salk worked with for a year in microbiology and resulting in Francis isolating two types of influenza virus(Allaby). Microbiologist John Enders,virologists Frederick Robbins and Thomas Weller all influenced Salk to find the breakthrough he so desperately needed. Both virologists grown viruses in tissue taken from a living organism using penicillin to keep the object free from infection(Allaby). This was a breakthrough for Salk because he copied their procedure and used viruses from the spinal cords of polio patients and grew them in another object to test on(Allaby). Jonas Silk has always been involved with medical science throughout his entire life. He attends and graduates in surgery from the City College of New York. In 1938 when Salk works with Thomas Francis he was introduced to finding the influenza vaccine(Allaby). This is the event that made Salk interested in finding out more about viruses and urges him to want to find a vaccine for a disease. Salk ended up working on a influenza vaccine at the Virus Research Unit of the University of Michigan School of Public Health(Allaby). From working on the influenza vaccine Salk had the opportunity to become the head of the virus research laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh i n 1947(Allaby). This is where and when Salk decides to begin his work on the polio vaccine. The testing Salk produced with the Polio virus in the spinal cords, they revealed that thereShow MoreRelatedThe Discovery Of Polio Vaccine Essay2213 Words   |  9 Pagespoliomyelitis, otherwise known as polio. However, a breakthrough was reached when Jonas Salk managed to developed the first vaccine, which he brought to the public in 1955 after testing the drug on himself, family, and others. Salk developed a killed-virus vaccine through tissue-culture methods discovered by the scientist John Enders. Unfortunately, Salk’s vaccine was not the cure that the scientific community, and the world, had hoped for, as the results of the vaccine took a critical turn for the worseRead MoreThe Polio Vaccine Essay1082 Words   |  5 PagesThe Polio Vaccine The discovery of the polio vaccine was an important medical and scientific breakthrough because it saved many lives since the 1950s. In the summer of 1916 the great polio epidemic struck the United states. By the 1950s hundreds of thousands of people had been struck by the poliomyelitis. The highest number of cases occurred in 1953 with over 50,000 people infected with the virus. When hygienic conditions were poor polio attacked infants. The disease was spread by contaminatedRead MoreThe Epidemic Of Polio During The Egyptian Era1586 Words   |  7 Pageswithout warning. It wasn’t until research skills and technology accessibility improved that scientists were able to grasp the idea that it was all caused by the Poliomyelitis virus. 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He also taught that it is a life taking job and that polio vaccine was a difficultRead MoreVaccines Prevent The Human Race1697 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Vaccines prevent an estimated 2.5 million deaths among children younger than age 5 every year, [however;] 1 child dies every 20 seconds from a disease that could have been prevented by a vaccine† (Global Health Security: Immunization). Providing immunity to human, vaccines have saved countless lives through one simple injecting and have eradicated many diseases that used be common among people. Vaccines is the solution and allow us to be able to combat diseases that have overwhelmed humans for centuriesRead MorePolio And Its Effects On Children1387 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å" I got it [polio] when I was a little girl. My parents watch as I slowed down and my hand stopped working. We couldn’t afford the sur gery to fix it, but I finally better. But my hand is a constant remember, but I refuse to let it stop me.†(6) Poliomyelitis, deriving from Greek meaning grey and marrow. Which more than likely refers to the spinal cord, along with the suffix –itis or inflammation.(4) For a time, Poliomyelitis was once was called infantile paralysis because of its primary effects onRead MoreVaccines And The Diseases Of Vaccines1542 Words   |  7 PagesVaccines and the diseases they are used for have been an incredible scientific feat that has changed the way we live drastically. Before vaccines, people were dying rapidly from many diseases that are now either eradicated or controlled. Vaccines have saved millions of lives and are continuing to do so today. People no longer live in fear of catching a disease from other people due to vaccinations and what they do to the body. 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The poliomyelitis is from the word â€Å"grey†, myelos referencing to the â€Å"matter† of the spinal cord, -itis meaning inflammation. So it means the inflammation of the grey matter of the spinal cord. Poliomyelitis can be categorize as either asymptomatic or symptomatic. About