'Got polio?' messaging underscores a vaccine campaign's success but creates false sense of security as memories of the disease fade in US

Polio vaccines have been a massive public health victory in the US. But purely celebratory messaging overlooks the ongoing threat if vaccination rates fall.

Katherine A. Foss, Professor of Media Studies, Middle Tennessee State University • conversation
April 27, 2023 • ~10 min

Polio vaccination rates in some areas of the US hover dangerously close to the threshold required for herd immunity – here's why that matters

With poliovirus circulating in New York, health authorities worry that pockets of the county with low polio vaccination rates could give the virus a foothold.

Jennifer Girotto, Clinical Professor of Pharmacy Practice, University of Connecticut • conversation
Sept. 21, 2022 • ~8 min

Fears of a polio resurgence in the US have health officials on high alert – a virologist explains the history of this dreaded disease

Health officials say the new case of polio in New York state and the presence of poliovirus in the municipal wastewater suggests that hundreds more could already be infected with the disease.

Rosemary Rochford, Professor of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus • conversation
Sept. 7, 2022 • ~10 min

Polio in New York – an infectious disease doctor explains this exceedingly rare occurrence

The oral polio vaccine – which is no longer given in the US – relies on a live but weakened virus that can actually be passed from person to person.

William Petri, Professor of Medicine, University of Virginia • conversation
July 22, 2022 • ~6 min

Is the omicron variant Mother Nature’s way of vaccinating the masses and curbing the pandemic?

Some of the omicron variant’s unique properties – such as its ability to spread rapidly while causing milder COVID-19 infections – could usher in a new phase of the pandemic.

Mitzi Nagarkatti, Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Carolina • conversation
Jan. 27, 2022 • ~9 min

The great polio vaccine mess and the lessons it holds about federal coordination for today's COVID-19 vaccination effort

Massive vaccine distribution efforts take a lot of coordination. The rollout of the Salk polio vaccine in the US in 1955 holds lessons for those delivering COVID-19 shots today.

Bert Spector, Associate Professor of International Business and Strategy at the D'Amore-McKim School of Business, Northeastern University • conversation
Jan. 14, 2021 • ~8 min

Why scientists and public health officials need to address vaccine mistrust instead of dismissing it

People who oppose vaccines often are dismissed as ignorant or naive. Failing to hear their concerns and address them may only be fueling vaccine resistance, however.

Porismita Borah, Associate Professor, health communication, Washington State University • conversation
Oct. 30, 2020 • ~10 min

Ending the pandemic will take global access to COVID-19 treatment and vaccines – which means putting ethics before profits

The high cost of pharmaceuticals often means only the richest patients get lifesaving medicines. As coronavirus drugs emerge, it will require hard, creative work to ensure they're available to all.

Nicole Hassoun, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Binghamton University, State University of New York • conversation
July 16, 2020 • ~9 min

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