This is Robert Cohen with the VOA Special English DevelopmentReport.
Fifty years ago, no one knew how to stop polio. Polio is adisease of the muscles and the nervous system. Victims lose theability to move their arms or legs, and often the ability tobreathe.
Then a scientist named Jonas Salk developed an experimentalvaccine to prevent it. The organization March of Dimes launched atest.
The first vaccines were given on April twenty-sixth,nineteen-fifty-four. About four-thousand students were the first toreceive the injections. They attended Franklin Sherman ElementarySchool in McLean, Virginia.
The test was called “the shot felt around the world.” Abouttwo-million children were vaccinated in one year. Those who receivedthe series of three injections became known as the “Polio Pioneers.”
Today, a form of vaccine taken bymouth is used to fight polio. This vaccine was developed by AlbertSabin. Polio is almost gone from the world. The World HealthOrganization wants to declare an end to polio by next year. But thisgoal may be at risk.
Recently, in southern Africa, Botswana reported its first case ofpolio in more than ten years. Health officials say the virus foundin a child probably came from Nigeria. One state in Nigeria is notready to vaccinate its children.
Islamic leaders in Kano say the vaccine is not safe. Someopponents have said the vaccines are part of a Western plot to harmMuslims. Kano officials have said they are waiting for supplies ofvaccine from Muslim countries in Asia.
There have been several new cases of polio in Kano since January.Health officials believe most other new cases of polio in Nigeriaspread from Kano. And the disease has spread to other Africancountries where there had been no polio for years.
Polio is still a problem also in India, Pakistan, Niger,Afghanistan and Egypt. India’s national immunization days havereduced new cases to only eight reported so far this year. Therewere one-thousand cases two years ago.
In Nigeria, Muslim leaders, government officials, doctors andothers met recently to discuss the concerns in Kano. People at themeeting said they agreed that Islam supports vaccinations againstdisease. Kano leaders urged the government to do more to fight alldiseases that kill children, not only polio.
This VOA Special English Development Report was written by KarenLeggett and Jill Moss. This is Robert Cohen.