Vaccines

Articles tagged with "Vaccines".

Polio's Last Stand: How We Went From 125 Endemic Countries to Just 2

Tags: Polio Eradication, Global Health, Vaccines, Public Health

November 22, 2025

How Close Are We to Completely Eradicating Polio From Earth?

Polio has been reduced by 99.9% since 1988, dropping from endemic status in 125 countries to just 2 remaining strongholds - Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative has delivered over 2.5 billion childhood immunizations through 200+ countries and 20 million volunteers, making polio eradication one of the greatest public health achievements in history.

Dr. Kumar’s Take

We’re witnessing the final chapter of humanity’s second disease eradication effort after smallpox. The numbers are staggering - from over 1,000 children paralyzed daily in 1988 to just two countries remaining. However, recent cases in Gaza after 25 years of elimination remind us that war, conflict, and breakdown of health systems can quickly reverse decades of progress. The last 0.1% may prove the most challenging.

What Is Poliomyelitis? The Virus That Once Terrorized America

Tags: Polio, Vaccines, Infectious Disease, Medical History

November 22, 2025

What Is Poliomyelitis and Why Did It Once Paralyze Thousands?

Poliomyelitis is an enterovirus infection that peaked in the United States in 1952 with more than 21,000 paralytic cases. This RNA virus has three distinct serotypes and spreads through the fecal-oral route, causing paralysis in roughly 1% of infections by destroying motor neurons in the spinal cord and brainstem.

Dr. Kumar’s Take

The CDC data shows polio’s devastating impact before vaccines - over 21,000 paralytic cases in a single year. What’s remarkable is that most infections were actually mild or asymptomatic, making the paralytic cases even more tragic. The 1955 inactivated vaccine and 1961 oral vaccine transformed this from America’s most feared childhood disease to a nearly eradicated infection, with the last U.S. case in 1979.