70 years after the FDA deemed Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine safe and effective, health officials and community members gathered to celebrate the vaccine and discuss vaccination hesitancy.
The event took place on April 12 in the Teplitz Memorial Moot Courtroom in the School of Law and featured distinguished medical and public health professionals, including the son of Jonas Salk, who celebrated the lasting impact of the vaccine and discussed issues like vaccine skepticism.
Chancellor Emeritus Mark Nordenberg opened the ceremony by recognizing the work of Jonas Salk and his research team in developing the polio vaccine at Pitt’s School of Medicine before Allegheny County Councilmember Bob Macy took to the podium and recounted his experience watching his childhood neighbor contract polio.
“I had a…