Polio ~ Anti-Semitism Almost Denied Its Cure
Human beings have suffered a multitude of pandemics. Among the most paralyzing was poliomyelitis. My generation knew it by its dreaded name – ‘polio’. The slightest mention of the word caused fear, panic and desperation.
It was a major global epidemic in the early-to-mid-20th century. There was no cure – only preventable through vaccination.
At the same time, there were other diseases plaguing America infecting citizenship.
Racism, sexism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism were present as well.
Interesting to ponder how the polio vaccine came to be – and almost denied – by those who benefited the most.
Dr. Salk and Dr. Sabin did not develop the polio vaccines to only save Jewish children.
But for some, that “love supreme” was never reciprocal.