The Polio Vaccine free essay sample

The Polio epidemic happened, each of the 48 states at the time had rampant cases of Polio. The un-curable disease had taken over America. Poliomyelitis is an infectious viral disease that attacks the nerve cells and sometimes the central nervous system; it is caused by the destruction of nerve cells in the spinal cord. Polio often causes muscle wasting, paralysis, and even death. 1 In surveys of what Americans feared most, Polio came in second to the Atomic Bomb. Children were the main target of Polio and until Dr. Jonas Salk’s Polio Vaccine that became available in 1952, there was no cure for the disease Polio was often called infantile paralysis because the majority of the infected were elementary school children. â€Å"It must have been profoundly difficult in that first quarter-century of polio. How helpless parents must have felt to know that there was this killer that could come each summer, and that nothing they could do could safeguard their children. We will write a custom essay sample on The Polio Vaccine or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Every sniffle, every cold, every muscle cramp, every temper tantrum that a child exhibited in the long, hot days of summer and early autumn were potential symptoms of polio. How long could a family show good spirits in front of a child confined to an iron lung, or later, during the two or more years a child might spend in rehabilitative therapy. † This quote is really significant in the fear that polio had over people. Every parent had no way to defend their kids from the disease. Sending children to school was extremely difficult because many schools were shut down from massive outbreaks of polio. Not only schools but also every other public place; restaurants, grocery store, movie theaters, etc. No one would leave the comfort of their own home, and even then they weren’t safe from Polio, they were just safer there than anywhere else. 2 A very notable case of Polio was Franklin D. Roosevelt. Even though it was children who were especially vulnerable, Adults could catch the disease as well. In 1921, FDR had contracted Polio and he became paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life. Later on in 1937, Roosevelt advocated for The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. Roosevelt’s foundation established The March of Dimes that helped to fund money to find a cure and resist the disease. March of Dimes was really successful in raising money to help fight against the disease. 3 Polio quickly moved from city to city taking no pity on any of its victims. The disease got stronger among the nation. It became surreal-like as demonstrated by this quote by Richard Aldrich M. D. , â€Å"The first summer when I was home in Minnesota was that gosh-awful polio epidemic they had there. We admitted 464 proven cases of polio just at the University Hospital, which is unbelievable. And this was a very severe paralytic form. Maybe two or three hours after a lot of these kids would come in with a stiff neck or a fever, theyd be dead. It was unbelievable. It was just loads of people that came in, sometimes with only a fever but usually a headache and a little stiffness in the neck. And just absolutely terrified. At the height of the epidemic, the people in Minneapolis were so frightened that there was nobody in the restaurants. There was practically no traffic, the stores were empty. It just was considered a feat of bravado almost to go out and mingle in public. A lot of people just took up and moved away, went to another city. †4 What really frustrated people is that there really wasn’t anything they could do. As previously stated, Hospitals were pass there limit of people that could be emitted into the hospital. They couldn’t just turn them away, so they took in everyone who came through the door. This was problematic because the Doctor-Patient ratio was very unbalanced. Not everyone was able to get attention right away and within a couple hours, the disease completely overtook them and they were dead. Every year more and more cases of paralytic polio were occurring. In 1933 there were only 5000 cases and ten years later in 1943, the number of cases was more than double with 12,000 cases. In 1950 there was 33,000 cases. Polio seemed to be moving north to east. Polio shifted from the eastern side of North America and began making its way across the entire United States. Then in 1952 the Polio Epidemic occurred with 59,000 proven cases of paralytic polio. 5 By then, polio epidemics were second only to the atomic bomb in surveys of what Americans feared most. Bomb and virus alike were terrible agents of destruction that might arrive at any moment to devastate a family, a community, or an entire nation. The disease seemed like an omnipresent threat, and its cure became a national responsibility. Epidemics struck other countries, but never as heavily as here. America was the center of polio, and the place where people knew they must work first, and fastest, to end it. They gave their time and money to help the growing swell of victims and to find a way to stem the rising tide of injury. When the call came, they even volunteered their children, millions of them, to test a new vaccine. The fear that had once driven Americans apart was now the force that pulled them together. This quote defines the 1952 Polio Epidemic and the strong fear that Americans had. The worst hit areas to date were Texas, Iowa, Ohio, Nebraska, and the worst were in New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusets. 7 The Most significant figure during this time was Dr. Jonas Salk. Jonas Salk was born October 28, 1914 in New York City. He was the eldest son of Russian immigrant parents. His parents, like many immigrants of the time, were uneducated, but determined that their sons should have formal educations and achieve American success. Salk attended Townsend Harris High School, one of the finest public high schools in New York. He became the first member of his family to go to college. As a medical student and later a researcher at the University of Michigan, Salk studied viruses, such as influenza, and ways to vaccinate against them. In 1947, Salk became head of the Virus Research Lab at the University of Pittsburgh. He began investigating the polio virus. 8 On July 2, 1952, Salk tried a refined vaccine on children whod already had polio and recovered. After the vaccination, their antibodies increased. He then tried it on volunteers who had not had polio, including himself, his wife, and their children. The volunteers all produced antibodies, and none received polio. One of the newest and most hopeful weapons in the fight against polio is a blood fraction called gamma globulin. It is a rich storehouse of the disease fighting antibodies. Also, injections of this would reduce measles in children. There has been evidence that gamma globulin could also destroy polio before it reaches the nervous system, disrupting its paralyzing effects. 6 In 1953, Salk reported his findings in The Journal of the American Medical Association. A nationwide testing of the vaccine was launched in April 1954 with the mass inoculation of school children. Before the polio vaccine, 13,000 to 20,000 people were paralyzed by polio. About 1,000 people died from it each year in the United States alone. The results of Salk’s vaccine were a 60 -70 percent prevention of Polio. The public was ecstatic with Salk’s marvelous creation. It was the gift that the American Public waited for years and years to get. Because of the Vaccine, Many universities awarded Salk honorary degrees, he was given a Congressional Gold Medal, and France made him a member of the Legion of Honor. â€Å"Fifty years ago, on April 12, 1955, the world heard one of the most eagerly anticipated announcements in medical history: Dr. Jonas Salks polio vaccine worked. The vaccine turned a disease that once horrified America into a memory. † There was one incident that took place with Salk’s vaccine that put American’s hope in the dumpsters. About 200 cases of the disease were caused by Salk’s vaccine and 11 people died. All testing was halted because the American people didn’t feel safe anymore. Investigators found that the disease-causing vaccine all came from one poorly made batch at one drug-company. This resulted in higher production standards that were adopted and vaccinations resumed. By August of 1955 four million vaccinations were given and the impact was dramatic. In 1955, there were 28,985 cases of polio. In 1956, there were 14,647 cases. In 1957, there were 5,894 cases. The number of cases kept declining with the number of vaccinations given, and by 1959, 90 other countries used Salks vaccine. Although the last known case of polio in the Western hemisphere was reported in 1991 and there has not been a case in Western Asia since 1997, polio is still rampant in South Asia, West Africa, and Central Africa. Approximately 5,000 cases are diagnosed each year. Although that represents a 90% decrease in just the last ten years.

How College Students Can Avoid Getting Sick

How College Students Can Avoid Getting Sick How College Students Can Avoid Getting Sick There is a high risk of catching a cold, flu or another virus in winter, which will make you stay in bed for a week or even two. It is extremely bad for students who miss classes, do not study enough to get a good grade, and as the result, their academic performance is lower than their classmates’. Now we are going to tell you about 5 effective ways how not to get sick during winter epidemic hits. Wash Your Hands and use Sanitizer It is important to wash your hands as frequently as possible during winter, and we do not talk about quick rinse under the water. It should be at least one-minute-long and definitely with soap. It is necessarily especially for those students, whose roommates or other close people are sick. Such easy procedure allows us to keep gems away. Of course, it is better to live in another room for a while if your roommate is sick. What is more, remember not to touch your nose and eyes with your hands if you have not washed or sanitized them. Stayed Hydrated In order to fight gems and infections of different kinds, your body need water. Yes, water, but not other liquids like coffee, tea, soda etc. On the contrary, they can dehydrate you even more. In addition to that, try to keep membranes of your mouth and nose soft. Otherwise, there may be tiny cracks, which will allow viruses to get into your organism, and they can result in you getting sick. Eat Right The immune system is extremely important means of fighting any illness, but it is powerless against viruses if it is not boosted. One of the factors, which influence your immune system is food. It is important to eat right, and that means that you have to eat more nutritious food and less nutritious empty or junk food. Doctors say that it is important to eat a lot of: Fresh fruits and vegetables; A lot of milk and cheese, as it contains protein, which supports body’s detoxification processes; Coconut oil, which contains substances, similar to breast milk, which helps to strength the immune system of the baby. Fresh garlic and onions; The superfood chlorella, which fights with toxins in your organism. Get Enough Rest Students, who do not sleep enough because they need to prepare for exams, are more likely to catch a cold or a virus because rest and immune system are interconnected. So, think twice before you decide to stay up all night studying, as you may get sick for more than a week and study even less than when you sleep at night and study only several hours during the day. Do not Share Of course, it is kind of you to share your food with your roommate or classmates, but not at the times of epidemic hits, as you can get sick or somebody else can catch the flu because of you. It is not only food, which you shouldn’t share, but also towels, cups, lipsticks, or other things, which can carry viruses or help them to spread. It is also better not to use any public utensils in cafes or college cafeterias, as they can carry gems as well. It is much better to take a napkin or bring the food with you. If your roommate has the flu, try not to touch the same objects. Of course, it may be a bit difficult, as there may be a lot of things, you share, but there can be gems on them.

Push and pull factors in Syrian migration Assignment - 4

Push and pull factors in Syrian migration - Assignment Example About 100  000 refugees have also managed to get asylum in European countries. David Williams also concurs with this by stating that â€Å"An average of almost 5,000 Syrians are fleeing into neighbouring countries every day.† This has resulted in the officials warning of the need for more humanitarian aid to the support communities. Many Syrians have been forced out of their homes and ultimately their country as a result of raging war. There is no peace in this country as a result of the war and it is hardly possible to live in such a place. It can also be seen that homes and other necessary infrastructure have been destroyed as a result of this war. As a result, the Syrians are left with no option but to migrate to other areas that are believed to be safe. Many people who have migrated from the war torn Syria have sought refuge in neighbouring countries as well as other European countries. These people are often forced to seek asylum or refuge as a result of the fact that they are left with nowhere to stay after their homes have been destroyed in the raging civil war in their country. Some people are also encouraged to migrate to other destinations by the favourable conditions thought to exist there. However, not all of them find their lives rosy in these far away destinations such as Europe. Yardly Jim and Planigiani, Gaia aptly state that â€Å"Having risked their lives in hopes of settling in prospering Northern Europe, many Syrians found themselves trapped in the south, living illegally in Italy, hiding from the police, as they tried to sneak past border guards and travel north to apply for asylum.† There are some lucky ones who have successfully applied for refuge and some have found employment. As a result of tough European laws on migration as well as asylum seeking, many people have found themselves trapped in these far off destinations believed to be safe havens. The children as well as the education sector have not been spared by the