Polio vaccine, Salk

Polio vaccine, Salk: Vaccine against the virus that causes the nerve disease poliomyelitis. The Salk vaccine is named for Dr. Jonas Salk who developed and introduced it in 1955.

The Salk vaccine was the first type of polio vaccine to become available. It was made by cultivating three strains of the virus separately in monkey tissue. The virus was separated from the tissue, stored for a week, and killed with formaldehyde. This killed-virus vaccine was given by injection and required 4 "shots."

The oral form of the vaccine, developed by Dr. Albert Sabin, is in standard use today since it is easier to administer, provides long-lasting immunity and does not require a booster.

The American physician and virologist Jonas Salk (1914-1995) did research on the influenza virus at the University of Michigan and on poliovirus at the University of Pittsburgh. In 1963 he became the first director of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies at the University of California, San Diego.