(Topic suggestion from Patron, Eric Rush)
In the early 1950s, Jonas Salk and other scientists led the effort to develop and deploy an effective vaccine against polio. In subsequent decades, significant progress was made to eradicate other diseases through the development of successful vaccines and widespread immunization programs.
How might the course of medical and social history be different if Salk's vaccine had proved ineffective or delayed?
What are the lessons and implications of those vaccines on the current global pandemic and efforts to stem the spread of COVID?