It's quick and easy to access Live Science Plus, simply enter your email below. We'll send you a confirmation and sign you up for our daily newsletter, keeping you up to date with the latest science news.
Polio was one of the most feared diseases of the 20th century. Before a vaccine was developed, the poliovirus afflicted millions of children and adults (including President Franklin Delano Roosevelt), sometimes causing lifelong paralysis and breathing difficulties. But by mid-century, Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin had developed vaccines against the brutal disease. The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, or the March of Dimes, led the effort to vaccinate millions of children, helping to eradicate the disease in the United States.
Survivors recover
These children are recovering from polio at Municipal Hospital in 1953. (Credit: March of Dimes Foundation)
Tanya was a staff writer for Live Science from 2013 to 2015, covering a wide array of topics, ranging from neuroscience to robotics to strange/cute animals. She received a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a bachelor of science in biomedical engineering from Brown University. She has previously written for Science News, Wired, The Santa Cruz Sentinel, the radio show Big Picture Science and other places. Tanya has lived on a tropical island, witnessed volcanic eruptions and flown in zero gravity (without losing her lunch!). To find out what her latest project is, you can visit her website.
Live Science Plus
