Elvis
I remember getting the polio vaccine at school on a sugar cube when I was a little kid. Ah, the olden days, when avoiding a terrible disease was considered a good idea.
posted by crystal | 9:15 PM
Friday, September 10, 2021
I remember getting the polio vaccine at school on a sugar cube when I was a little kid. Ah, the olden days, when avoiding a terrible disease was considered a good idea.
4 Comments:
We got the Salk vaccine first, and the Sabin sugar cube one acouple years later. Both were three doses. No hesitation on my mom's part, she took the first opportunity to get us vaccinated. She had been keeping us home during the summer, not letting us go to the swimming pool or anything, because it was believed that was a way you could catch polio. So more freedom for us and more peace of mind for our parents once we were vaccinated. I did know some kids in my school who caught polio before they were able to be vaccinated. One of them still uses crutches and wheelchair. Another one died prematurely of heart problems which may have been related to his having polio.
It's strange - I remember getting the sugar cube at school but I don't remember being aware of polio or knowing anyone who had it.
I know several people who have post-polio syndrome. That is they made it through the initial illness without serious disability, but as their bodies age, they start having trouble. One of my neighbors uses a scooter, and several people limp. The theory is that they used other muscles to compensate for the ones affected by the original diseases, and as they age the additional wear and tear takes its toll.
I wonder if it's different because of where we live. I've never met anyone who was affected by polio. Just reading about it - ot was much worse than I had realized.
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