Looking back on the COVID-19 pandemic, we reflect on the importance of the vaccine and how its rapid testing and rollout reduced the incidence of infection. However, those who feared or opposed COVID-19 vaccination due to personal beliefs or perception of risk influenced discussions in the media and the uptake of the vaccine. But hesitancy and opposition to vaccines has existed in the past, and such awareness provides needed context to the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine within American history.
Historical accounts of mid-twentieth century American medicine primarily focused on its successes, including the development of new interventions, such as penicillin to combat bacterial infections or chemotherapy to target cancer. More recently, historians have examined the politics of medicine, revealing challenges, setbacks, and ethical dilemmas. The case of the first polio vaccine, developed by University of Pittsburgh researcher, Dr. Jonas Salk, is particularly instructive, as it shows that public reception of new interventions was not always positive. Indeed, acceptance, hesitancy, and resistance comingled in the past, and considerable resources were mobilized to achieve an effective public health program. Creating a viable polio vaccine, as with the COVID-19 vaccine, was not enough; instead, allaying public misgivings through education and outreach became necessary to overcome hurdles and build trust.
Before the vaccine, American families faced an ever-present threat of polio. Polio (or infantile paralysis) is a contagious viral disease that can cause flu-like symptoms, but in a small percentage of cases causes paralysis of the limbs and breathing muscles or even death. Although not all cases of paralysis are permanent, the process of recovery is lengthy and incomplete, requiring survivors to adapt to lasting disability. By the 1950s, the incidence of polio was a widespread concern; rates increased dramatically from only 1,700 cases in 1938 to over 38,000 cases in 1954. Since the virus often infected children and emerged in epidemic form, Americans lived in fear of the disease and its potential impact on individuals and communities.