| Home > Events > Disease, Disaster, and Democracy, 2006 > Conference Speakers > David Oshinsky Luncheon Lecture: Polio as the People's Disease
David Oshinsky Speaker biography | Transcript | Audio | Q&A transcript | Q&A audio Summary
Dr. Oshinsky, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning book, Poli An American Story, discussed the historical context of polio in the United States, exploring the lasting impact of the campaign to develop polio vaccine on both philanthropy and research and development (R&D). Polio had been endemic in the United States prior to the 20th Century, and it is not clear why polio approached epidemic proportions in the nation in the 20th Century. The disease became more common in the 1930s and 1940s, just as the introduction of penicillin catalyzed calls for the eradication of all infectious disease. Polio was perceived as a "crack in the middle-class window," given the lack of a cure or strategies to protect children and limit infection. Oshinsky's summary of the biological and clinical characteristics of polio virus and polio disease emphasized that most polio victims suffered only mild symptoms, and that only in unusual cases were individuals paralyzed. Despite the small number of paralytic cases, the severity of consequences for these individuals made polio "a very visual disease." In response, a revolutionary "people's crusade" against polio emerged, one that continues to shape philanthropy and research and development today. This popular movement began with Franklin Delano Roosevelt's commitment to find a cure or vaccine for polio. While little progress was made during his lifetime, FDR helped found the March of Dimes, an organization which set out to "turn philanthropy on its head." The group introduced the innovative concepts of Madison Avenue-style public relations campaigns, celebrity advocates, and mother's marches to support polio victims and vaccine research. Most significantly, the March of Dimes sought small donations from millions of Americans rather than large contributions from a few wealthy individuals. This combination of grassroots fundraising and new ideas in advocacy helped raise hundreds of millions of dollars-which at the time amounted to more than all U.S. charities combined, not including the Red Cross. The March of Dimes established a virology committee to answer fundamental questions about poli How many types of virus are there? How can enough virus for vaccines be produced? How does polio move through the body? To answer these questions, the organization assembled a group of "young, aggressive, ambitious, and smart" scientists irrespective of their fame or standing in the academic hierarchy. Dr. Oshinsky emphasized that while there was tremendous discrimination against women and anti-Semitism in America, the March of Dimes funded the research of two women, Dorothy Horstmann and Isabelle Morgan, and two Jewish scientists, Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin, who would go on to develop two polio vaccines. Oshinsky summarized the research and development of the two vaccines funded by March of Dimes: the killed virus Salk vaccine and live attenuated Sabin vaccine. He described how positive results from a 1954 double-blind clinical trial of the Salk vaccine in 2 million children were received "as if a war had ended." Contributing to this collective sense of accomplishment was the involvement of "millions upon millions of Americans who gave their time, their money and their children to this cause." Everyday Americans funded the research and volunteered to help implement the mass vaccination campaign. Dr. Oshinsky closed by suggesting a message for philanthropists and researchers today from the story related in his book. First, he suggested that exaggeration and misrepresentation of polio and the promise of polio vaccine may have contributed to the success of the March of Dimes. There is evidence that the March of Dimes over-hyped polio, a disease with only 50,000 cases and 5,000 fatalities a year, and promoted an image of immediately curable polio victims, which was not true. The March of Dimes refused to partner with other charity organizations like the United Way. The organization's promotion of Salk elevated him to "celebrity scientist" status and fermented a divisive competition between Salk and Sabin. Dr. Oshinsky suggests that new approaches to philanthropy and R&D, especially the notion that ordinary citizens can contribute to a monumental effort, are the legacy of the "people's crusade" and the March of Dimes. The achievement and innovation of the March of Dimes are even more remarkable considering that the organization succeeded "without any red state or blue states" and in an age before government became involved in R&D. The March of Dimes proves that volunteerism can result in remarkable achievements. Dr. Oshinsky closed by stating: "you work together, you work hard, and there is a huge benefit." Summary by Andrew Mulcahy, MPP |
