Logan Reed
Polio was one of the most feared diseases in the early 20th century, paralysing hundreds of thousands of children annually. The development of vaccines in the 1950s and 1960s brought the disease under control, and it was practically eliminated as a public health problem in industrialised countries. The first successful demonstration of a polio vaccine was by Hilary Koprowski in 1950, with a live attenuated virus that people drank. In 1955, Jonas Salk's injectable vaccine was announced safe, and a nationwide immunisation campaign began in the US. In 1962, an oral polio vaccine OPV was developed by Albert Sabin, using an attenuated, or weakened, live polio virus. As of 2022, polio is only found in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of first successful demonstration of a polio vaccine | 1950 |
| Name of the developer of the first successful polio vaccine | Hilary Koprowski |
| Type of vaccine | Live attenuated virus that people drank |
| Date of announcement of Jonas Salk's injectable vaccine | 1955 |
| Type of Jonas Salk's vaccine | Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) |
| Date of development of oral polio vaccine (OPV) | 1962 |
| Developer of the oral polio vaccine (OPV) | Albert Sabin |
| Type of oral polio vaccine (OPV) | Attenuated or weakened live polio virus |
| Date of introduction of effective vaccines | 1950s and 1960s |
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What You'll Learn
The first polio vaccine was developed by Jonas Salk in 1955
Jonas Salk's injectable vaccine, known as an "inactivated polio vaccine" (IPV), used a polio virus that was not alive. In March 1953, Salk injected himself, his wife, and their three sons with his experimental poliovirus vaccine. In 1955, Salk's vaccine was announced safe to use, and a nationwide immunization campaign began in the United States. The U.S. government licensed Salk's vaccine, which was found to be 80-90% effective against paralytic polio.
At the same time that Salk was testing his vaccine, Albert Sabin and Hilary Koprowski were also working on developing polio vaccines using a live virus. Sabin's oral polio vaccine (OPV), which used an attenuated or weakened live polio virus, was easier to administer and greatly facilitated distribution. This vaccine was developed in 1962 and is still used today alongside Salk's vaccine.
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Albert Sabin developed an oral polio vaccine in 1962
In the early 20th century, polio was one of the most feared diseases in industrialized countries, paralysing hundreds of thousands of children every year. The race to find a vaccine was on.
In 1955, Jonas Salk’s injectable vaccine was announced safe to use and a nationwide immunization campaign began in the United States. This was the first successful polio vaccine. Salk’s vaccine is called an “inactivated polio vaccine” (IPV), meaning it uses a polio virus that is not alive.
Albert Sabin developed an oral polio vaccine (OPV) in 1962. This used an attenuated, or weakened, live polio virus. Sabin was a physician and microbiologist. His vaccine was easier to administer than Salk's, which had to be injected, and this greatly facilitated distribution.
Sabin's vaccine was first trialled in 1950 by Hilary Koprowski, who tested it on 150 people. Sabin continued to work on the vaccine, and in 1957 he developed a trivalent vaccine containing attenuated strains of all three types of poliovirus. In 1959, ten million children in the Soviet Union received the Sabin oral vaccine.
Oral polio vaccines have been shown to cause about three cases of vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis per million doses given. This compares with 5,000 cases per million who are paralysed following a polio infection. Both types of vaccine are generally safe to give during pregnancy and in those who have HIV/AIDS, but are otherwise well.
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The World Health Assembly resolved to eradicate polio in 1988
The first polio vaccine, developed by Dr Jonas E. Salk, arrived at the Mayo Clinic on 13 April 1955, a day after it was licensed in the US. This was an inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) and did not stop the poliovirus from spreading between children. However, it was safe and effective, with only mild redness or pain at the site of injection.
A second type of polio vaccine, the oral polio vaccine (OPV), was developed by physician and microbiologist Albert Sabin. This vaccine was live-attenuated (using the virus in weakened form) and could be given orally, as drops or on a sugar cube. It was licensed in most industrialised countries in 1962, and in the same year, Cuba began using the oral vaccine in a series of nationwide polio campaigns. OPV offered an inexpensive and efficient way to immunise people against polio, especially in areas with poor access to clean water, handwashing, and good sanitation. It also interrupted the chain of transmission, making it a powerful vaccine to stop polio outbreaks.
In 1979, Rotary International started a multi-year project to immunise 6 million children in the Philippines. In 1988, the World Health Assembly passed a resolution to eradicate polio worldwide, marking the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). Since then, the incidence of polio worldwide has been reduced by 99%, and the world stands on the threshold of eradicating a human disease globally for only the second time in history, after smallpox in 1980. Polio vaccines have prevented an estimated 20 million cases of paralysis in children since 1988.
However, challenges remain. As long as wild poliovirus remains in Afghanistan and Pakistan, all countries are at risk of its importation. Other countries have also experienced outbreaks of poliovirus variants, which can emerge in areas where immunisation rates are low. Success in eradicating polio will mean that no more children will have to experience the devastating effects of the disease.
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The Americas were declared polio-free in 1994
The quest for a polio vaccine began in the 1930s, with early pioneers like Kolmer and Brodie conducting experimental vaccinations. However, it was Dr Jonas Salk and his colleagues who, in 1955, developed the first safe and effective polio vaccine, known as the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV). This vaccine uses a non-living polio virus and is administered via injection. Salk's vaccine was a game-changer, and a nationwide immunization campaign was soon underway in the United States.
In 1957, Dr Albert Sabin developed a second type of polio vaccine, the oral polio vaccine (OPV). This vaccine used an attenuated (weakened) live poliovirus, which could be easily administered as drops or on a sugar cube. OPV's ease of administration made it ideal for mass vaccination campaigns. The first country to eliminate polio was Czechoslovakia, which began using OPV in early 1960.
While the development of vaccines was a crucial step, the eradication of polio in the Americas was a complex and multi-faceted effort. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), created in 1902, played a pivotal role in supporting immunization initiatives. The World Health Organization (WHO) also led a multinational public health effort, alongside UNICEF and the Rotary Foundation, through the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) launched in 1988.
The success in the Americas was a result of a combination of factors, including early detection of cases through robust surveillance of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) in children, high vaccination coverage, and the dedication of countless individuals and organizations. However, maintaining polio-free status is an ongoing challenge, as evidenced by the recent re-emergence of polio concerns in Peru due to low vaccination rates and limited surveillance capabilities.
Today, the world is closer than ever to eradicating polio, with wild poliovirus cases at record lows. However, the risk of vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPVs) remains, especially in under-vaccinated communities. The goal of permanent global cessation of poliovirus circulation is within reach, but it requires continued vigilance and commitment to immunization efforts worldwide.
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Polio persists in Afghanistan and Pakistan
The first polio vaccine was developed by Dr Jonas E. Salk and his colleagues, and it was licensed in the US in 1955. This was an inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) that protected the vaccinated child but did not stop the poliovirus from spreading between children. A second type of polio vaccine, the oral polio vaccine (OPV), was later developed by physician and microbiologist Albert Sabin. OPV interrupted the chain of transmission, making it a powerful vaccine to stop polio outbreaks.
Despite the development of these vaccines, polio persists in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which are the only two remaining polio endemic countries in the world. In 2021, the number of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases reported was only five (four in Afghanistan and one in Pakistan), the lowest level in history. However, as of November 1, 2024, Afghanistan reported 23 WPV1 cases, the highest number in four years. The persistence of polio in these countries can be attributed to several factors, including low immunization coverage, disruption to immunization campaigns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Taliban control in Afghanistan.
Routine immunization coverage remains low in the high-risk provinces of Afghanistan, and there is a need to strengthen the quality of Supplementary Immunization Areas (SIAs) with strong surveillance systems. UNICEF is working with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) in Afghanistan, the World Health Organization (WHO), and non-governmental organizations to reach every child with vaccines and build trust in the importance of vaccination campaigns. House-to-house vaccination campaigns have been effective in improving vaccination coverage, but local authorities have reinstated restrictions on this approach.
In Pakistan, eight wild poliovirus cases were reported from the North Waziristan area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province between April and June 2022. The southern part of the KPK province bordering Afghanistan has been marked as a high-risk area. The suspension of door-to-door polio vaccination due to the COVID-19 pandemic may not have immediate effects, but it could potentially result in future polio outbreaks and the international spread of the virus.
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Frequently asked questions
The first polio vaccine was licensed in the US in 1955.
The first injectable polio vaccine was created by Jonas Salk.
The first injectable polio vaccine was called "inactivated polio vaccine" (IPV).
The oral polio vaccine (OPV) was developed by Albert Sabin in 1962.
