Professor Mewbourn studies the work to cure polio starting with FDR and the work of Jonas Salk that provided a brilliant cure with a non-living form of the polio virus as a vaccination. Controversy arose from the race to manufacture the successful vaccine and some companies that wanted to make profit and cut corners endangering millions of American children. Many decried the government’s call to make the vaccine free calling it the first step to socialized medicine. Salk said the vaccine belonged to the people and patenting it would be akin to “patenting the sun.” A story of vaccine controversy with the vaccine that ENDED polio.
This lecture is part of the Humanities & Social Sciences (HASS) Lecture series.
Zoom link: https://columbiastate.zoom.us/j/3416150757