U-M epidemiologist Matthew Boulton and Michigan’s chief medical officer Natasha Bagdasarian converse about vaccines, then and now

In this demanding period for vaccinations, the University of Michigan School of Public Health is set to host a live podcast recording on April 11 to honor the declaration made 70 years ago at U-M, when the polio vaccine was proclaimed safe and effective to a global audience.

After enduring fatalities, iron lungs, and paralysis predominantly of children under the age of five, an anxious public rejoiced at the announcement.

“In factories nationwide, the PA system announced the efficacy of the polio vaccine, leading autoworkers in Detroit and garment workers in New York City to weep openly,” remarked historian David Oshinsky, a Pulitzer Prize laureate for his book, “Polio, an American Story,” during an interview in a U-M documentary celebrating the 50th anniversary of the vaccine declaration.

“People gathered around radios, tuning in to the news like it was a Rocky Marciano heavyweight match. Fire signals were set off. Church bells tolled.”

Natasha Bagadasarian, the chief medical officer for the state of Michigan, is set to join U-M epidemiologist Matthew Boulton for a live broadcast of the School of Public Health’s Population Healthy podcast. They will delve into the history of the polio vaccine and its creation, while also examining contemporary challenges and trends in utilizing vaccinations to safeguard communities against polio and a variety of other illnesses.

The podcast, which is complimentary and open to the public, will be recorded live at 10 a.m. in front of an audience in the Cornely Community Room at U-M’s School of Public Health, located at 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor. Registration is encouraged.

The podcast will not be streamed live, but will be accessible on April 12 via the School of Public Health website and on all leading podcast platforms.

The event is set to occur one day prior to the 70th anniversary of the declaration made at U-M’s Rackham Auditorium on April 12, 1955, when Dr. Thomas Francis Jr. revealed the success of research and tests conducted on Dr. Jonas Salk’s vaccine, which involved an unprecedented 1.8 million children in field trials. Francis was the chair of epidemiology at the School of Public Health and served as director of the Poliomyelitis Vaccine Evaluation Center at U-M. Salk completed his postgraduate training at U-M’s School of Public Health.

Boulton shares his reflections on this occasion and is available for interviews in advance.

As we contemplate this achievement, what are your primary thoughts regarding vaccines?

There is a significant apprehension among the public health sector about potential reductions in federal funding for immunization initiatives in the U.S. We’ve achieved remarkable advances in curbing vaccine-preventable diseases in this nation, with declines exceeding 99% in numerous ailments. However, the recent measles outbreak in Texas, which involved hundreds of cases predominantly among unvaccinated children, exemplifies how swiftly past achievements can come undone if we fail to continue prioritizing and investing in childhood vaccinations.

How confident are you, or should the public be, about polio remaining eradicated in the United States?

Polio currently persists in only two countries: Pakistan and Afghanistan. We’ve been incredibly close to eradicating polio globally, but we have yet to succeed. However, our challenging experiences have taught us that local outbreaks of infectious diseases in remote countries can easily invade the U.S. due to the unprecedented and rapid transport of individuals, animals, and goods worldwide. Recently, there have been dramatic reductions in USAID and other international aid agencies which support nations in vaccination efforts and the detection and management of infectious diseases. We should all be wary of the consequences of those funding cuts regarding the possible reintroduction of previously eradicated diseases, such as polio, into the U.S. It is a genuine threat.

What was the public’s perception of the introduction of the polio vaccine 70 years ago?

Before the Salk polio vaccine was created in 1955, the United States recorded approximately 15,000 to 16,000 cases of paralytic polio each year, sometimes more. Many parents lived in constant dread of their children contracting the illness, particularly during the warm summer months when outbreaks were common. The introduction of the polio vaccine, alongside the significant decline in polio cases, was celebrated as a groundbreaking scientific achievement and one of the most remarkable public health successes of the 20th century.