War on Disease

This paper investigates how widespread acceptance of the polio vaccination was generated in the United States. It shows that FDR transformed the struggle against polio into a national endeavor and that the fear of polio contributed to the widespread anticipation of the vaccine. A main focus is plac...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Jonas Zimmermann
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: Innsbruck University Press (IUP) 2023-06-01
Series:Historia.scribere
Online Access:https://historia.scribere.at/historia_scribere/article/view/4106
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This paper investigates how widespread acceptance of the polio vaccination was generated in the United States. It shows that FDR transformed the struggle against polio into a national endeavor and that the fear of polio contributed to the widespread anticipation of the vaccine. A main focus is placed on the medical researcher Jonas Salk who fostered public trust in the vaccine. This paper will argue that a timely switch from Salk’s inactive vaccine to Sabin’s oral, live vaccine rekindled the national interest in polio and that the war rhetoric on polio further motivated Americans to get vaccinated.
ISSN:2073-8927