Albert Sabin and the monkeys who gave summer back to the children. | what caused polio

SkiptocontentAlbertSabinhasbeencalled“thedoctorwhogavesummerbacktothechildren.”*Becauseofhisdecadesofresearchtodeveloptheoralpoliovaccine,childrentodayknownothingofthefearthatpoliobroughttotheUnitedStateseverysummerwellintothe20thcentury. Swimmingpoolsandmovietheaterswereclosedandchildrenwerekeptinsidetheirhomesbyfrightenedparents. Worldwide,thediseasekilledmillionsofpeopleandleftlegionsofotherspermanentlydisabled.AlbertSabinadministeringthevaccinethatsavedmillionsfrompolio.We’vejustcelebratedthe50thanniversaryoftheintroductionofDr.Sabin’svaccine.Estimatessuggestthatinjustitsfirsttwoyearsofworldwideuse,thevaccinepreventednearly500,000deathsandfivemillioncasesofpolio. Today,theworldisonthebrinkofrealizingDr.Sabin’slifetimedream:theeradicationofpoliofromtheplanet.Thedevelopmentoftheoralpoliovaccinerequiredyearsofextensiveresearchwithrabbits,monkeysandrodents.AnimalrightsactivistslongagoseizedonasinglephrasebyDr.AlbertSabin,andhavebeenusingiteversincetotrytosupporttheiroutrageousclaimthatthedeveloperoftheoralpoliovaccine(OPV)opposedtheuseofanimalsinresearch.Thatphrase,“Theworkonprevention(ofpolio)waslongdelayedbyanerroneousconceptionofthenatureofthehumandiseasebasedonmisleadingexperimentalmodelsofdiseaseinmonkeys”spokenbyDr.Sabinduringacongressionalhearingin1984,hasbeenusedinanimalrightspublicationsandcommentsforovertwodecades.Dr.Sabin,amemberoftheBoardofDirectorsofthepro-researchAmericansforMedicalProgressuntilhisdeathin1993,spentyearsworkingtocorrecttherecord. HereisaletterhewrotetotheeditoroftheWinstonSalemJournal,publishedin1992.Winston-SalemJournalMarch20,1992TheCorrectConclusionInarecentlettertotheJournal(“MisrepresentingResearch,”Feb.20),Dr.StephenR.Kaufman,thechairmanoftheMedicalResearchModernizationCommittee,correctlyquotedmy1984testimonybeforeCongressbuthedrewwrongconclusionsfromit. Dr.Kaufmanwasalsowrongwhenthesaid“thepoliovaccinewasbasedonatissueculturepreparation…notanimalexperimentation.”Onthecontrary,myownexperienceofmorethan60yearsinbiomedicalresearcham


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