Polio may finally be defeated in the next 5 years. Will the world recognize what an extraordinary achievement that is?
Articles on March of Dimes
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Rates of preterm births, maternal deaths and other adverse birth outcomes are abysmal across the US, but there are clear strategies that could help the nation reverse course.
More than a century ago, the US learned what happens when there is no national response to a major health crisis.
A March of Dimes report gave the US a grade of D+ for maternal and infant health care, highlighting that the national preterm birth rate hit 10.5% in 2021, a record 15-year high.
Polio vaccines have been a massive public health victory in the US. But purely celebratory messaging overlooks the ongoing threat if vaccination rates fall.
A tragic error showed how complicated it can be to distribute vaccines on a mass scale.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s personal battle with polio, and his steady hand while overseeing a national eradication campaign, highlights decisive leadership against a virus that terrified America.
Polio was nearly eradicated with the Salk vaccine in 1955. At the time, little was known about this mysterious disease that paralyzed and sometimes killed young children.
Top contributors
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Senior Lecturer, Film and Media Studies, University of Pittsburgh
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Director of the School of Journalism & Strategic Media, Professor of Media Studies, Middle Tennessee State University
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Research Assistant Professor of Maternal and Child Health, Texas A&M University
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Research Associate in Women's Health, Wayne State University
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Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Maternal Fetal Medicine, Wayne State University
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Dean Emeritus and Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh
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Professor of American Studies, Brandeis University