What is Polio?

Introduction

Polio, also called poliomyelitis, is a sickness caused by a virus that mostly affects children under 5. It spreads when someone touches infected poop, drinks dirty water, or eats contaminated food. The virus grows in the throat and intestines. Most people only get mild flu-like symptoms like fever, tiredness, headache, or sore arms and legs. But in about one out of every 200 cases, polio can cause permanent paralysis, which means a child might not be able to move certain muscles. If it affects breathing muscles, it can even be deadly.

Polio has been around for hundreds of years. Ancient Egyptian art shows children with bent or deformed legs that may have been caused by polio. It spreads easily, so even one sick child anywhere can put children in other countries at risk.

History of Polio

Polio outbreaks became more common in cities in the late 1800s. In the United States, the worst outbreak happened in 1952. That year, 21,000 children were paralyzed, and 3,000 died. People were scared to go to swimming pools, fairs, or sports events. Parents checked their kids carefully for symptoms.

Hospitals were very busy, and children with severe polio sometimes had to use iron lungs. These large machines helped them breathe when their chest muscles were paralyzed. Doctors and nurses worked long hours to help patients.

Interestingly, when hygiene improved in the 19th century, polio became more dangerous for some children. Babies who were exposed to the virus later in life did not have antibodies from their mothers and were more likely to get severe polio.

Franklin D. Roosevelt and the March of Dimes

Franklin D. Roosevelt had polio and helped children with the disease. He opened rehabilitation centers and created programs to care for patients. He also helped start the March of Dimes.

This campaign let people of all incomes donate a small amount of money to fight polio.

Celebrities and the media helped raise awareness. The money funded research and helped scientists develop vaccines that would save millions of lives.

Vaccines Stop Polio

In the 1950s, Dr. Jonas Salk created the first polio vaccine, called IPV, which used a killed virus and was given as a shot. Later, Dr. Albert Sabin created the oral polio vaccine, or OPV, which used a weakened live virus. Children could take it as drops or on a sugar cube.

Both vaccines protect against polio, but the oral vaccine also helps stop the virus from

spreading between children. Millions of children were vaccinated, and polio cases dropped dramatically.

The Global Fight

Since 1988, countries around the world have worked together to fight polio. Organizations like the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and Rotary International have helped give over 2.5 billion doses of the vaccine. Polio cases have dropped by 99 percent.

Today, polio only exists in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It can still appear in places with war, poor sanitation, or low vaccination. New vaccines are helping stop these outbreaks. Until polio is gone everywhere, children in polio-free countries still need vaccines to stay safe.

A Brighter Future

Polio shows the power of vaccines, teamwork, and caring for others. Millions of children who could have been paralyzed can now walk. Scientists, doctors, volunteers, and families all helped fight this disease. With continued vaccination, polio could soon be gone for good, keeping children healthy all over the world.