Defeating Polio in 1953: A breakthrough for Dr Jonas Salk

26th March 2026

In the first half of the twentieth century, polio outbreaks, especially in summer, caused widespread fear, mainly affecting children.

Although we now know it is a highly infectious virus that can damage the brain and spinal cord, leading to paralysis or death, this understanding was limited at the time, making the epidemics of the 1930s–50s even more alarming.

Amid growing urgency, researchers worked to develop a vaccine. One of the most important figures was Jonas Edward Salk, who trained in chemistry and medicine in New York before joining Thomas Francis Jr. at the University of Michigan.

While many scientists believed only weakened viruses could be used in vaccines, Salk took a different approach, using a killed virus instead.

On 26 March 1953 Salk announced he had successfully tested a polio vaccine on himself and his family. Large-scale trials soon followed, and by 1954–55, results showed it was highly effective in protecting children from polio. The success brought global relief and marked a major step toward controlling the disease.

Salk went on to establish the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, continuing his research career until his death in 1995.