Ann Arbor Times

In recognition of the 70th anniversary of a pivotal moment in vaccine history, the University of Michigan School of Public Health will host a live podcast on April 11. This event commemorates the day, 70 years prior, when the polio vaccine was announced safe and effective at the University of Michigan, offering hope to a world besieged by the disease. Historian David Oshinsky recalled, “In factories across the country the PA system would announce that the polio vaccine worked and autoworkers in Detroit and garment workers in New York City wept openly.”

The podcast will feature Natasha Bagadasarian, Michigan's chief medical executive, alongside U-M epidemiologist Matthew Boulton. They will discuss the polio vaccine's history and modern challenges in vaccination. The session will take place in the Cornely Community Room at U-M’s School of Public Health in Ann Arbor, beginning at 10 a.m. The event is free and open to the public, though registration is encouraged. The recording will subsequently be available on April 12 through the School of Public Health's website and other platforms.

This celebration occurs ahead of the April 12, 1955 anniversary when Dr. Thomas Francis Jr. declared the success of Dr. Jonas Salk's vaccine after trials involving 1.8 million children. Reflecting on the advancements, Boulton noted, “We’ve made tremendous strides in controlling vaccine preventable disease in this country with greater than 99% reductions in many diseases."

Despite the achievements, Boulton raised concerns about potential cuts in federal funding for immunization programs and their impact on disease control. “The recent measles outbreak in Texas involving hundreds of cases, with the majority among unvaccinated children, is testament to how quickly those past successes can unravel if we don’t continue to prioritize and invest in childhood vaccination,” he said.

Discussing polio's status, Boulton remarked, “Polio is currently endemic in only two countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan. We’ve previously come within a hair’s breadth of eradicating polio from the world but we’re not there yet.” He emphasized the risk of reintroduction due to recent cuts in international aid organizations.

The historical significance of the polio vaccine was underscored. “Prior to the development of the Salk polio vaccine in 1955, there were roughly 15,000 to 16,000 cases of paralytic polio in the U.S. every year,” said Boulton. “The arrival of the polio vaccine, and subsequent dramatic reduction in polio cases, was heralded as a historic scientific breakthrough and one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th century.”