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workprovider1Influential Persons: Jonas Salk 4
Influential Person
Jonas Edward Salk
Introduction
Before 1957, Polio was considered the biggest scourge post-war period in the United States of America. In fact, prior to the discovery of the first successful inactivated polio vaccine in 1952, the US had lost over 13,145 patients of the 58, 000 case that had been reported. The rest has sustain permanent disability (American Experience: The Polio Crusade, 2009). It is with these facts in mind that I deem it necessary to bring forth a discourse regarding Jonas Edward Salk who was the first person to discover the first successful inactivated polio vaccine (Johnson, 1990). Indeed, to remark that Jonas Edward Salk is an influential person is an understatement. To me he deserves the greatest stand on earth. It is because of him; today people no longer worry about polio when summer is on the horizon. His place is history and in the heart of man is indelible to say the least.
The Birth of Jonas Salk
Jonas Salk was born in the year 1914 to Jewish parents in the state of New York. Despite the fact that his parents had very little of a formal education they were, indeed, determined to take their son to school. At the age of 13, Jonas joined “Town Send Harris High School” a school that was a reserve for the best students in the country. His ingenuity would come to light in his high school years such that his fellow students nicknamed him “the perfectionist.” Ironically, Salk abandoned his aspirations to become a lawyer after his mother begged him to take on medicine. And as an obedient child he joined the medical school in City College of New York and graduated with a bachelor of Science degree in 1934. In college, Jonas stood out aloft the other student in his class. This continued all the way to New York University of Medicine. As a matter of fact, Jonas was most admired by his peers in medical school not only because he was bright, but also for demonstrating uniqueness when he decided to join the field of research, which was unpopular at that time (most of the medical student choose to become physicians) (Zamula, 1991).
Significant and Contributions
It was not until the year 1957 when the newly discovered Salk’s polio vaccine was introduced to the public that his name became very popular in every household. Prior to this momentous discovery, polio was the most feared calamity in the U.S. It should be remembered that 1952 saw the biggest number of reported polio cases in the U.S at a staggering 58, 000. Sadly, 13145 people died that same year while 21,269 of those people where permanently disabled. According to a report by PBS, “Apart from the atomic bomb, America's greatest fear was polio” (American Experience: The Polio Crusade, 2009). Among the most notable victims of the scourge was American President Franklin D. Roosevelt who would later found an organization named “March of Dimes Foundation.”
At the beginning of 1947, Salk assumed his position as a researcher at the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine. Later in 1948, he undertook a project that was being funded by the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis to research on the different strains of the polio virus. Therein, he assembled a team of dedicated researchers that would settle down for the next 7 years in research of a polio vaccine (Johnson, 1990).
According to O’Neill, the testing and trials of Salk’s new found vaccine was the most elaborate in history. It involved a staggering twenty thousand physicians and social workers, sixty-four schoolteachers and two hundred and twenty thousand volunteers. In addition, the trials were conducted on one million and eight hundred pupils across America. After the news that the vaccine was successful in 1955, the whole nation went into a celebration mode (Zamula, 1991). “Finally the scourge has been beaten.” Salk was hailed as a “miracle worker” who had helped save the nation from the pangs of this devastating menace. In fact, most people were of the opinion that the day should have been made a public holiday. Throughout his whole research, he maintained that his sole aim was to come up with a vaccine that would be effective and safe for the general public. Moreover, his intention for the vaccine was not to enrich himself but to help the rich and poor alike. Indeed, when he was later interviewed on his newfound vaccine as to whether he had patented the vaccine, he retorted that just like no one would patent the sun and so was his discovery (Johnson, 1990).
After this momentous discovery, Salk never abandoned his research work. He went on with his career in the laboratory with his team of researchers. In 1960, Salk founded the “Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla California” which is world renowned for its extensive research in medical science. In addition, Salk is known for numerous medical research books that he has published in his lifetime. It is to be remembered that Salk’s last times on this earth were dedicated to the research of a HIV vaccine (Zamula, 1991).
SWOT analysis for Jonas Edward Salk
Strength
It goes without saying that Jonas Salk greatest strength was his attention for detail. From the above work, it is clear that Salk had a knack for detail. This had even prompted his colleges fellows to nickname him “the perfectionist”. Apparently, most researchers have the same characteristic like Salk, which is deemed as a tenet for success in the research career. Besides this, Salk was an intelligent man as is evident for his success in his school days. Evidently, Salk was tenacious man. Being a son of an immigrant, Salk faced many challenges that included lack of employment even when he had completed the whole medical course, nonetheless he never gave up.
Weakness
Most people would argue that his greatest weakness was his lack of a business acumen. To this day, some pundits still believe that he should have patented the vaccine, as he deserved the money for the time and dedication he had put into the research.
Opportunities
After the huge success with the polio vaccine the next big opportunity was to continue improving his vaccine while at the same time embark on researching on other vaccines. Today HIV is a big threat to human health. Much of the effort to discover a vaccine for the disease has not borne any fruits hitherto. So, it is up to his foundation to continue with his research for the HIV vaccine.
Threats
The only threats to his vaccine was the emergence of other vaccines that would make his vaccine less effective. However, he had already sorted this one out by not patenting his vaccine; this way it would be hard join the industry as the profits were minimal.
The Death of Jonas Salk
In his last days, Salk had already embarked on research for AIDs vaccine however his endeavors were discontinued when he fell ill and later died of heart attack. This was in June 23, 1995 at the age of 80. He was laid to rest at El Camino Memorial Park in San Diego (Zamula, 1991).
References
"American Experience: The Polio Crusade"(Feb. 2, 2009). Los Angeles Times, Television Review.
Johnson, G ( 1990). "Once again, a man with a mission". The New York Times. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
Zamula, E (1991). "A new challenge for former polio patients." FDA Consumer, 25 (5): 21–5.