Sabin on Sunday, 1965

Material Information

Subjects / Keywords:: Vaccinations
Poliomyelitis--Vaccination
Boynton Beach Jaycees (Boynton Beach, Fla.)
Unidentified people
Interiors
Boynton Beach Jaycees Collection
Spatial Coverage:: Florida -- Boynton Beach
Coordinates:: 26.529364 x -80.064765

General Note:: Two men at the Boynton Beach Jaycees oral polio vaccination program, one holding a sign stating: "We've licked smallpox… we've licked diptheria… let's lick polio! Sabin On Sunday" Historical note: Poliomyelitis ("polio" for short) is a highly contagious virus that can cause nerve injury leading to paralysis and sometimes death. Thousands of people, primarily children, were affected during outbreaks between 1894 and 1955. Jonas Salk's polio vaccine in 1954 gave hope to people who had seen thousands of children die or be maimed by polio. However, a bad batch of the vaccine actually caused 40,000 cases of polio, several deaths and 200 cases of paralysis, leading to public mistrust of the vaccine. Albert Sabin's vaccine was administered by sugar cube through an organized effort called "Sabin Sundays." Starting 24 April 1960 and through the next few years, churches and organizations like the Jaycees led the immunization effort.
General Note:: Item number: A0052-4-3-001