To Vaccinate or Not

[Shawnna]

Aside from any biases the presenter might have had, what did you think of the cover-up of the decline of polio, as shown in the CDC graph? That is the part I'm referring to.

If I remember correctly, she was insinuating that polio was declining when the two types of polio vaccines were introduced.  Obviously I'd want to understand how those statistics may have been gathered or more likely, estimated.  The 1940's and 50's weren't exactly known for reliable data or tracking systems that I'm aware of.  

My understanding is that at its peak in the 1940s and 1950s, it's estimated that polio paralyzed or killed over half a million people worldwide every year. Immediately prior to the polio vaccine era, sanitation improved such that exposure was reduced and the primary age of polio infection increased.  With the increase in age, the disease more often resulted in paralysis.  

I've found this resource helpful in understanding polio's history:  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_poliomyelitis