HYDERABAD : In spite of all the resources and support given by the US and other countries over the past three decades, poliovirus still continues to exist, and thrive in various parts of the world. Polio: The Odyssey of Eradication by Thomas Abraham details the reasons why polio eradication acquired a global dimension, and explores the causes of its seemingly imminent failure, despite being one of the most ambitious initiatives the World Health Organisation (WHO) has ever undertaken.

In 1921, Franklin D Roosevelt, the former President of the US, allegedly got afflicted by poliovirus and remained wheelchair-bound for the rest of his life. Determined to respond to the threat, FDR helped raise huge amounts of money which was used to fund research to develop a vaccine.

Researcher Jonas Salk developed a “killed virus” vaccine after testing it on monkeys, and later, on a group of crippled kids who already had polio after obtaining their parents’ consent. The vaccine worked, and in 1955, it was recommended for widespread use. Here, the author shares detailed information on the trials conducted.

Later, another researcher, Albert Sabin, had developed a “weakened virus” vaccine which is to be given orally. Currently, this is the most-used forms of vaccine in the world. The distinguishing factor between Salk and Sabin vaccines was that the Sabin vaccine had the potential to eradicate the disease, and was given orally.

However, with the Salk vaccine being in widespread use in the 1950s, the author says the US was not too keen on adopting Sabin’s oral vaccine, despite it being easier to administer. In 1957, the Soviet Union began trials of the Sabin vaccine on kids, and immediately adopted its use. By 1960, children in the USSR had been administered tens of millions of doses. Later, Mexico and Cuba followed suit. Only then, after seeing their successes, did the US switch to administering the Sabin vaccine.

The later parts of the book delve into the issues surrounding vaccination. Though poliomyelitis has been eradicated from many parts of the world, it still exists in parts of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria, and regularly keeps popping out of countries that had been declared polio-free.

Notwithstanding the $1 billion a year funds for the polio eradication campaign by organisations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Rotary and others, poliovirus roams free across the globe. This book explores the reasons behind the ever-continuing campaign and its failure in achieving complete eradication. A must-read for those interested in the origins of polio and the geopolitics involved in its eradication.
Pages: 252, Price: `699
Publisher: Context

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