Dr. Jonas Salk

 Dr. Jonas Salk

Dr. Jonas Salk was the individual that created the polio vaccines that used polio virus that was killed with formaldehyde to prevent polio. We learn that Dr. Jonas Salk's polio vaccine was available in 1955 although, he had tested the vaccine for years.

We learn that poliomyelitis was a disease that afflicted individuals causing degeneration of the lower extremities to the point that individuals needed knee braces and walkers to move. We learn that Dr. Jonas Salk worked diligently to create the polio vaccine that allowed individuals to not develop polio. We learn that after 8-10 years of research, we learn that the vaccine was approved for public use in 1955. 

Dr. Jonas Salk created the polio vaccine by destroying the polio virus with formaldehyde and creating a serum that was able to be injected. This was with the intention that the vaccine would cause antibodies to be developed to the polio virus if individuals were to be infected with polio. We learn that the polio vaccine invented by Dr. Salk was effective and efficient at preventing illnesses from polio including preventing severe infection that led to weakness or paralysis of the lower limbs.

We learn that the polio vaccine was one of the greatest medical discoveries in the past century because it was able to help prevent poliomyelitis. We learn that poliomyelitis was a debilitating disease that did not have a cure once it caused severe illness. We learn that science can be used for the good of individuals, yet there must be healthy skepticism about how vaccines are developed and approved. We learn that the polio vaccine took 8-10 years to successfully develop and research, yet was effective at preventing poliomyelitis and thus preventing lower limb paralysis. Dr. Salk also decided to give the vaccine for free choosing not to patent the vaccine meaning that he did not want to make extensive wealth from the vaccine and instead wanted individuals to not develop polio. This describes that there are good individuals that have existed and exist who choose to work for good and not for other reasons.