The Perfect Storm: Polio Strikes After Vaccine Dawn
In July 1955, just three months after Jonas Salk’s revolutionary polio vaccine received licensing, Massachusetts faced a devastating epidemic. This tragic timing created a unique crisis: While hope for prevention had finally emerged, thousands remained vulnerable to infection. The outbreak would become one of America’s last major polio epidemics, overwhelming Boston’s healthcare infrastructure as hospitals scrambled to accommodate paralyzed patients requiring respiratory support.
