Fwd: 12th April 1955 - a historic day!

[Guest guest]

>forward from a colleague, for interest

>

>Dear Colleagues

>

>Tuesday 12th April marks one of the most significant days in the

>history of health care, this is because on this day in 1955, it was

>announced that the Salk vaccine was effective in preventing polio.

>This year is therefore the 50th anniversary of this vaccine, and,

>fittingly 2005 should be the year that polio is eradicated from the

>world. If this does happen, it will be only the second disease to be

>eradicated, following smallpox which was eradicated in 1979.

>

>It is easy to forget what a devastating disease polio was, epidemics

>killing and crippling thousands of people. In 1950 there were 7760

>cases of polio in the UK resulting in 755 deaths. There are small

>pockets of polio transmission left, currently Ethiopia has some cases.

>If anyone want to find out more, there are a couple of web sites below.

>

>CDC 50th vaccine anniversary

>http://www.cdc.gov/nip/events/polio-vacc-50th/default.htm

>

>Polio eradication

>http://www.polioeradication.org/

>

>Thank you for taking the time to read this

>

>

>----------------------

> Purssell

>Lecturer in Paediatrics

>King's College London

>57 Waterloo Road

>London SE1 8WA

>Telephone 020 7848 3021

>Mobile 07782 374217

>Fax 020 7848 3555

>E mail edward.purssell@...

>

>Paediatric Infectious Diseases Unit

>Pinckney Ward

>St 's Hosptial

>London SW17 0QT

>Telephone 020 8725 2082/3

--

Professor Cowley

Head of Public Health and Health Services Research Section

Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery

King's College London

5th floor, Waterloo Bridge Wing, lin Wilkins Building

150 Stamford Street

London SE1 9NH

T: 020 7848 3030 (p.a. Caroline ex 3023)

F: 020 7848 3764

E: sarah.cowley@...

http://www.kcl.ac.uk/nursing/research/women.html