JONAS EDWARD

Jonas Edward Salk was an American physician and epidemiologist. He developed the first vaccine against poliomyelitis.  He lived from 1914 to 1995.

He was born in New York City. He received an M.D. from New York University in 1939 and was appointed assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan. In 1947 he became head of the virus research laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh. From 1949-1954 he was a research professor of bacteriology. He was a professor of preventive medicine and chairman of the department from 1954 to 1956. Finally, he was a professor of experimental medicine from 1957 to 1963.

Salk and his colleagues developed an inactivated vaccine against polio in 1952. In 1954, the vaccine was distributed nationally. It greatly reduced the disease. In the mid-1950s the American virologist Albert Sabin developed Salk’s discovery. He found an oral vaccine. His discovery brought polio under control.

Now, people all over the world use Salk’s discovery. The Indonesian government has a national program on it. However, only a few people know the inventor, Jonas Edward Salk.

Taken from: English On Sky 2