Jonas Salk
The Vaccine for Polio
What is Polio?
Polio is the abbreviated word for Poliomyelitis. Poliomyelitis is a virus that usually effects children the most. That is because children's bodies usually can't fight off a virus as well as adults can. Polio is a disease that can paralyze you. That means it can keep you from moving different body parts.
The Arrival of Polio
Polio came to America in the late nineteenth century. Polio never really took place until 1916, when many children awoke in Brooklyn, New York and couldn't move their arms or their legs. Parents were very frightened. They took their children to the doctor, but the nurses and doctors were puzzled by the many parents bringing their children in with the same symptoms. They didn't know what sickness was. But then a scientist named Jonas Salk had an idea.
Jonas Salk
Jonas Salk was a doctor and scientist. He was born in New York, New York on October 28, 1914. Jonas was the first in his family to attend college and earned his degree in science at the the New York City College. He then went on to the New York University School of Medicine. Jonas worked at Mount Sinai Hospital for a couple of years before going on to help with a flu vaccine. His work solving the flu epidemic during the war put him on the fast track as being the new up and coming scientist of the time. It was only natural for everyone to count on him when the Polio epidemic struck.
Famous Quotes from Jonas Salk
Selfless
http://youtu.be/liQzs6qqYQg
Jonas Salk refused to patent his Polio vaccine and make money off of it. He was known for saying, " You can't patent the sun."
Dedicated
Jonas Salk had worked to solve other epidemics, too. During the war, he helped to create the flu vaccine.
Determined
His perserverance and dedication to the "possible" paid off for everybody.