United States — Historical Events Description

United States flag
United States
Event
Polio Vaccine Test Begins
Category
Scientific
Date
1954-02-23
Country
United States
Description

On February 23, 1954, the first mass trial of Dr. Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine began in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, involving more than 1.8 million children. The vaccine proved effective and drastically reduced polio cases across the U.S. The success marked one of the greatest triumphs in medical science and public health. It also set a model for large-scale vaccination programs worldwide.