Jonas Salk, Polio Vaccination and Elvis Presley - a strange connection!

He was more than just the King of Rock and Roll. Elvis Presley popularised polio vaccination in the United States during the 1950s and is credited with raising immunisation levels in the United States from 0.6% to over 80% in just six months.

The American Polio Epidemic and the Salk Polio Vaccine

Poliomyelitis or polio is an infectious disease caused by the polio virus. Regular instance of polio epidemic ravaged North American cities from 1930s to 1950s with thousands of cases and thousands of death.

Fear of polio became widespread in the US, and the local governments would shutdown public places and lock down their cities during instances of polio outbreaks. But none of those lock downs or disinfection worked. Polio continued to infect and affect Americans, especially the children.

The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, in 1948, asked medical researcher and virologist Jonas Salk to join their growing network of polio researchers. Salk announced his discovery of an effective polio vaccine in 1955.

Jonas Edward Salk

How Elvis Presley popularised Polio Vaccination

The discovery of the Salk polio vaccine was a major milestone in polio research. It provided a solution to eradicate the epidemic through immunisation. But the American public was not readily receptive of the concept of immunisation. Public health officials and the American government had a hard time convincing the people to receive the polio vaccine.

Several organisations had also opposed immunisation and other emerging healthcare initiatives. They also used the fact that Salk was a Jew and the use of his vaccine was an anti-Christian effort aimed at contaminating the bodies of children.

The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, in 1956, launched communication strategies that revolved around television, radio, and print publicity to promote polio vaccination. One of the strategies employed by the foundation together with the New York City Health Department was to use celebrities. In October 1956, the two institutions launched a publicity stunt with the help of the young Elvis Presley.

On 28 October 1956, Elvis Presley got a polio vaccination on national television. Other press people covered the event and newspapers across the U.S. published the resulting photographs. The stunt indicated that the vaccine was safe, thus helping promote public confidence. This single event is credited with raising immunisation levels in the United States from 0.6% to over 80% in just six months.

It is believed that Elvis Presley and the teenagers who rallied behind the Salk polio vaccine might be the first, largest, and most successful example of teen health activism.

Sources -

1. The Guardian

2. Wikipedia

3. Version Daily