Jonas Salk<\/p>\n
I was shocked and saddened to read an article in Kompas of
\nJune 26, that Prof. Jonas Salk, discoverer of the polio vaccine,
\ndied of heart trouble at the age of 80, in Green Hospital, La
\nJolla, San Diego, U.S. on June 23, 1995.<\/p>\n
His image, a simple, friendly and fatherly figure, is still
\nfresh in my mind. His smile and his sharp look reflected his
\nsincerity.<\/p>\n
During my informal discussion with him, I briefed him about
\nthe polio immunization drive in Indonesia. He praised the serious
\neffort made by the Indonesian government in making the World
\nWithout Polio towards the year 2000 campaign a success.<\/p>\n
He wished to visit Indonesia to see with his own eyes how we
\nconducted the National Immunization Week in the effort to
\neradicate polio. But his death prevented him from realizing this
\ndream.<\/p>\n
He still looked strong and healthy when he received an award
\nfrom Dr. Hiroshi Nakajima, WHO director general, on the occasion
\nof the World Children Health Congress 2000, in Vancouver, Canada,
\nthree weeks before he died.<\/p>\n
Dr. Salk's concerns and sincere work reminded us of the
\nconditions during the first few years of the 20th century, when
\npolio cases caused death or lameness mostly to children. The
\noutbreaks were sporadic and hard to predict. Nearly 100,000
\nchildren in Canada and the U.S. were infected by polio in 1952,
\nlaming some but claiming the lives of most patients.<\/p>\n
In 1953 Dr. Salk announced the discovery of a vaccine
\ndeveloped from dead polio viruses. The vaccine was used to
\ndevelop immunity in children. Convinced of the efficacy of the
\nvaccine, he injected his wife, their three children and himself
\nwith the vaccine. He also tested the vaccine on 1.8 million
\nschool children in 1954.<\/p>\n
Not until April 12, 1955, did Dr. Salk announce to the world
\nthat his vaccine was safe and effective. Afterwards, medical
\npeople throughout the world vaccinated millions of people. People
\nbecame confident of the success of the vaccine and their feelings
\nof terror were considerably lessened.<\/p>\n
Forty years after Dr. Salk's discovery of the polio vaccine,
\non April 7, 1995, the World Health Day launched a program called
\nWorld Without Polio towards the year 2000.<\/p>\n
We have every reason to honor Dr. Salk who once said:
\n"Children are the seedlings of the generations to come."<\/p>\n
DR. SUTJAHYO SUHERMAN<\/p>\n
Tangerang, West Java<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jonas-salk-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }