Died: June 23, 1995

Occupation: Virologist (studies viruses and the diseases they cause), and he was a researcher

CDC. “About Polio in the United States.” Polio, 13 May 2024, www.cdc.gov/polio/about/index.html. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

Hammerly, Allison. “Then and Now: Polio and COVID-19.” The College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University, cvm.msu.edu/news/perspectives-magazine/perspectives-fall-2020/then-and-now-polio-and-covid-19. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

History.com Editors. “Dr. Jonas Salk Announces Polio Vaccine | March 26, 1953 | HISTORY.” HISTORY, 9 Feb. 2010, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/march-26/salk-announces-polio-vaccine. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

“Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine | Eisenhower Presidential Library.” Eisenhowerlibrary.gov, 2019, www.eisenhowerlibrary.gov/research/online-documents/jonas-salk-and-polio-vaccine.

“Polio and Routine Childhood Vaccination Catch-Up.” Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, 2024, bcuhb.nhs.wales/health-advice/vaccinations/polio-and-routine-childhood-vaccination-catch-up/. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

Tan, Siang Yong, and Nate Ponstein. “Jonas Salk (1914–1995): A Vaccine against Polio.” Singapore Medical Journal, vol. 60, no. 1, Jan. 2019, pp. 9–10, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6351694/, https://doi.org/10.11622/smedj.2019002. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

Wikipedia Contributors. “Jonas Salk.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Feb. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonas_Salk. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

The polio vaccine eliminated poliovirus from the U.S. Since it eliminated one of the most feared diseases, it relieved a lot of stress from people. After Jonas Salk publicly announced the polio vaccine, he became very popular. He became known as a “Hero” and a “Miracle Worker.” He did not want to make a profit off the polio vaccine. According to the National Library of Medicine when Jonas Salk was a child he wrote, “ I was not interested in human anatomy. I was merely interested in things humans, the human side of nature, if you like, and I continue to be interested in that. That’s what motivates me. And in a way, it’s the human dimension that has intrigued me.” This quote shows that he was interested in things in humans from a young age, which helped him persevere through all of the challenges he faced, because he didn’t want to give up on something he was interested in from a young age. Him living out his interest saved many lives for future generations. 

Jonas Salk was a great leader. One of the reasons is because he invented a vaccine for polio. The polio vaccine relieved a lot of stress from everyone. So people viewed Jonas Salk very highly after he publicly announced the Polio vaccine. After the polio vaccine was released polio dropped down to under 6,000 in the first year. Another reason is that he was a research and teaching assistant for a year, before he made the polio vaccine. That is one way he was a leader because being a teacher helps lead people. In conclusion, Jonas Salk was a great leader for people especially for the United States and he had a big legacy making him known as a “Miracle Worker”