7 diseases that vaccines have all but eliminated in the U.S.
First- and second-graders line up for Salk Polio vaccine shots on April 23, 1955. Regardless of where anyone stands on the matter, we know that vaccinations have been protecting us from diseases for decades. In 1921, the United States recorded 206,000 cases, which resulted in 15,520 deaths, according to the History of Vaccines website. According to the CDC, polio was once one of the most feared diseases in the U.S. Since 1979, there have been no polio cases that originated in the U.S.
Polio survivors reflect on pandemic as they receive COVID-19 vaccine
HOUSTON โ Memorial Hermann hospital has a special connection to polio survivors and wanted to ensure they were high on its list of patients to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The hospital first began treating polio survivors in the 1950โฒs and 1960โฒs, according to Dr. Gerard Francisco, chief medical officer at TIRR Memorial Hermann/ UTHealth. โEither because they got the polio before the vaccine was developed or when the vaccine was developed, they did not have access to it.โThe TIRR post-polio clinic now treats polio survivors, like Rhonda Young of Kingwood. AdFull Screen Full Screen 1 / 6 Historical photos of polio patients being treated in the 1950s at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston. AdDr. Francisco said polio survivors were among some of the hospitalโs first patients vaccinated against COVID-19.