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Photos: First Polio Vaccines Hit St. Louis In 1955
Mothers, and everyone else, awaited the first cartons of Dr. Jonas Salk's electric discovery, a vaccine to prevent the dreaded crippler and killer known as poliomyelitis. The baggage car from Indianapolis brought free cartons of Salk vaccine for school children in St. Louis city and county.
Iron lung patientVerne Muskopf, a nurse at St. Anthony's Hospital, South Grand Boulevard and Chippewa Street, helps iron-lung patient Louis Abercrombie smoke a cigarette in November 1949. Abercrombie was a polio patient and had been in an iron lung for almost three years. Hospital policies on smoking were different then. Post-Dispatch file photo
Unknown Iron lung patientA polio patient gets treatment in an iron lung at St. Louis Isolation Hospital, 5600 Arsenal Street, in January 1942. Iron lungs used alternating air pressure to expand and contract the patient's diaphragm, allowing her to breathe. Polio could paralyze the diaphragm muscles, sometimes permanently. Standing with a nurse are (left) Francis Dunford, St. Louis chairman of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis; and Mrs. Arthur Krueger, district president of the Missouri Federation of Women's Clubs, which donated the device. Post-Dispatch file photo
Recuperating from polioEleanor Hayes, a physio-therapist at St. Louis County Hospital's polio unit, helps a four-year-old patient to learn how to walk again in December 1947 after he was afflicted by the viral disease. The unit was opened after 581 adults and children in the St. Louis area came down with polio during an epidemic in 1946. Photo by Jack Gould of the Post-Dispatch
March of Dimes campaignThree young polio patients meet with leaders of the St. Louis March of Dimes for a KSD-TV special program in December 1951 to raise money for research. They are (from left) Sandra Paxton, Kay Sanders and David Robinson. Standing are (left) Joseph Kelly Jr., chairman of the city-county chapter of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, and former St. Louis mayor Aloys Kaufmann, vice-chairman of the annual drive. Post-Dispatch file photo
Campaign for polio vaccineOne of the floats in a parade on Jan. 28, 1954, for the Mothers March on Polio. The statue of St. Louis holds a test tube to symbolize research to cure or prevent the disease. On the float are polio patients (left) Karen Coffey of Ferguson and David A. Robinson of 1318 North Market Street. Post-Dispatch file photo
Living with effects of polioArlene Harwell, a polio patient, works the switchboard at Laclede Insurance Co., 220 North Fourth Street, in January 1954. She was featured in an article on how polio patients adapt their lives. Post-Dispatch file photo
Dr. Jonas SalkDr. Jonas Salk, who led the research team that developed the polio vaccine, in his laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh in April 1955, shortly before approval for distribution. United Press International photo
Dr. Jonas Salk explains vaccineDr. Jonas Salk (left at podium) explains development of the vaccine during a gathering on April 13, 1955, at the University of Michigan. With him are (center) Dr. Thomas Francis Jr., who led statistical research; and Basil O'Connor, president of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, which raised money for the research. Associated Press photo
Vaccine arrives in St. LouisSt. Louis-area leaders of the campaign to combat polio greet a passenger train at Union Station on April 21, 1955, that brought the first shipments of free vaccine for first- and second-graders. Station employee Walter Goyda hands the first box to Bernard Dickmann, chairman of the St. Louis March of Dimes committee; and (left) Jessica Barco and Loretto Gunn, co-chairwomen of the local Mothers March on Polio. Behind the box is Dr. J. Earl Smith, city health commissioner. Dickmann also was St. Louis postmaster and a former mayor. Photo by William Dyviniak of the Post-Dispatch
William Dyviniak Getting a polio shotLesley Rabon, 8, a student at Jackson Park Elementary School in University City, receives one of the first free polio vaccinations in St. Louis on April 21, 1955. Giving the shot is Dr. Guy Magness, while school nurse Peggy Vaugh assists. The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis had bought 7.5 million doses to distribute to the nation's schools. The first wave of inoculations was for first- and second-graders. Post-Dispatch file photo
Getting polio shotsStudents from St. Mary's School wait for a bus after they received their polio shots at Harris School in Madison on April 18, 1955. They were among the first 12,000 students in the Metro East to receive the shots through the free national program. Post-Dispatch file photo
Polio vaccinationsGleason Knox, a student at Harris School in Madison, grimaces as Dr. Irving Wiesman gives him one of the first vaccination shots in the St. Louis area on April 18, 1955. The Metro East received a partial shipment of the vaccine three days before St. Louis did. The vaccine was made available to first- and second-graders nationwide during a program financed by the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis shortly after the vaccine was approved for use. Assisting the doctor is Marjorie Cross, a member of the school mothers' club. Post-Dispatch file photo
Polio vaccine driveApproval of the Salk vaccine in 1955 was a watershed event, but polio cases continued during the national effort to inoculate everyone. In January 1959, leaders of the March of Dimes fundraising drive gather outside St. Anthony's Hospital, South Grand Boulevard and Chippewa Street, to promote the annual drive. The children are patients in the hospital's polio unit. With them are (left) Loretto Gunn, co-chairwoman of the St. Louis March of Dimes; and (center, in light-colored hat) a former St. Louis mayor who was chairman of the county campaign; and Jessica Barco (second from right) co-chair with Gunn. Post-Dispatch file photo
Boy gets oral polio vaccineKeith Sisson, 2, takes an oral version of polio vaccine in July 8, 1970, with help from Sister Christine of DePaul Hospital, 2415 North Kingshighway. He was among 700 children who received the vaccine that day. Photo by Jim Rackwitz of the Post-Dispatch
Post-Dispatch file photo 1955: Polio ShotsPatsy Murr, first grader at Fulton School in Lancaster, Penn., gets her Salk shot from Dr. Norman E. Snyder as she is held by Mrs. Walter Sourweine, April 25, 1955. Others view the proceedings with mixed emotions. (AP Photo)
ASSOCIATED PRESS 1950: March Of DimesFive members of the Schofield family of Newark, N.J., all hospitalized in the 1950 polio epidemic but now recovered, turn over their March of Dimes collection boxes to Basil O'Connor, right, in New York, Jan. 24, 1955. The youngsters, still receiving follow-up treatment, conducted a family competition for funds for the drive. The Schofield case represents the greatest incidence of polio among brothers and sisters of one family reported to the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis in 1950. From left to right are: George, 4; Andrew, Jr., 14, back; David, 8; Robert, 11, and Mary Jo, 9. O'Connor is president of the foundation. (AP Photo/Jacob Harris)
Jacob Harris 1962: Iron LungJoanne Hawrylchak, 9, of Richfield Springs, smiles from her iron lung in Albany, N.Y., as Lt. Joy Lane, Air Force nurse, prepares her for a flight to New York City aboard a Military Air Transport Service plane, Jan 17, 1962. Joanne, a polio victim, will receive treatment at a rehabilitation center there. (AP Photo)
APElizabeth Kenny: Nurse, Innovator & Advocate For Polio Treatment
Born on Sept. 20, 1880, in New South Wales, Australia, Kenny's groundbreaking methods challenged conventional medical practices and transformed the care of individuals affected by poliomyelitis, commonly known as polio.
Early Life and CareerKenny began her nursing career in rural Australia, where she gained firsthand experience caring for patients with various medical conditions. While she was an avid reader, she did not have a formal education. A surgeon who treated her broken wrist encouraged her to study medicine and she started to volunteer at a hospital where she learned nursing skills.
In the early 20th century, polio outbreaks swept across the globe, leaving many children and adults paralyzed or with debilitating muscle weakness. Frustrated by the lack of effective treatments for polio, Kenny sought innovative approaches to rehabilitate patients and improve their quality of life.
Innovative Treatment MethodsKenny's approach to treating polio patients diverged from traditional medical practices of the time, which often involved immobilization and bed rest. Kenny began developing her own series of treatments, starting with dry heat and damp heat poultices.
Drawing on her nursing experience and keen observation skills, Kenny developed a series of exercises and techniques aimed at restoring mobility, strengthening muscles and preventing deformities in polio-affected limbs. Her methods focused on active movement, muscle re-education and personalized rehabilitation plans tailored to each patient's needs.
Despite facing skepticism and resistance from the medical establishment, Kenny persevered in advocating for her treatment methods, demonstrating remarkable results in improving the condition of polio patients.
Her insistence on active therapy and early intervention challenged prevailing orthodoxy and paved the way for a paradigm shift in the management of polio and other neuromuscular disorders.
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Continued ServiceShe founded a hospital in Australia where her polio therapy methods were used. She ran the hospital for two years and then sold it so that she could travel to England and join the Australian Army Nursing Service. They accepted her despite her not being a registered nurse. Throughout World War I she served as a staff nurse on troopships and was given the title "sister" (head nurse).
While many medical professionals continued to criticize her techniques for treating polio, she eventually went to Minneapolis in the U.S. Where her method received wide acclaim. She became widely respected in the U.S.
Recognition and LegacyKenny's pioneering work gained international recognition, leading to widespread adoption of her methods and the establishment of Kenny treatment centers worldwide.
Her innovative approach revolutionized the field of physical therapy and set new standards for rehabilitation medicine. Kenny's legacy endures in the countless lives she touched and the lasting impact of her contributions to health care.
Today, the principles of early intervention, active therapy and personalized rehabilitation plans espoused by Kenny continue to inform modern physical therapy practices, benefiting individuals with a wide range of neuromuscular conditions.
Backlogged: Few Cases Finished After Millions Spent Investigating COVID Vaccine Claims
CHARLESTON, S.C. (InvestigateTV) — On the extremely rare occasions that a vaccine meant to protect public health harms a patient, the federal government has programs to provide compensation for proven injuries.
The reason is because the government wanted to protect manufacturers from litigation that might dissuade them from creating and manufacturing vaccines – including during a pandemic.
For most patients seeking damages for an injury related to flu, measles, polio and other public health vaccines, the process is well-established and transparent. The process also keeps manufacturers out of legal processes and puts the lawsuits in the hands of special federal vaccine courts.
"Instead of suing the pharmaceutical agencies or even the vaccine administrator, the doctor or the pharmacy, or whatever… all those claims would funnel into vaccine court, and the vaccine administrators and manufacturers would have immunity from liability. So this was a win-win for everyone, really," said Anne Toale, an attorney who handles vaccine cases on behalf of patients and their families.
But for more than 10,000 Americans who filed a claim due to a potential COVID vaccine-related injury, the process is slow, secretive and handled by a little-known agency that had only four employees when claims began arriving in 2021.
At its present pace, the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program would take more than a decade to clear the backlog of COVID vaccine cases while piling up millions of taxpayer dollars in administrative costs.
"People got COVID vaccines. They followed the directions. They did the right thing. They did, you know, protect themselves, their loved ones, their communities - and people had to get these vaccines. So all these people who did what they're supposed to do and did the right thing, now, they're being told, 'Oh, sorry, you're in a queue,'" Toale said.
Attorney Anne Toale has represented patients injured by routine, public-health vaccines for more than 20 years.(Jill RiepenhoffInvestigateTV)Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit through March 2024, the program has spent more than $26 million in administrative costs while paying out only $42,125 to 11 patients who had a substantiated reaction to the vaccine, according to an InvestigateTV analysis of federal data.
The federal government also has signed contracts worth millions of dollars to outside medical professionals to review COVID claims cases.
According to government records analyzed by InvestigateTV, the government contracted several doctors $25,000 each to review cases.
Few patients have received compensation for injuries related to the COVID vaccine, federal data shows.(Jill RiepenhoffInvestigateTV)Many of those doctors and nurse practitioners told InvestigateTV that the task of reviewing these cases is daunting and can take weeks for a single case.
Public health doctors, lawyers, patients and even members of Congress have raised concerns about the program.
"I think it's been very sluggish to act," said Dr. Brobson Lutz, a former public health director for the city of New Orleans. "We know there have been thousands of adverse effects. Fortunately, most of them minor. But some of them do deserve compensation and it's very unfortunate . . . They're not receiving anything."
Commander George Reed Grimes, who oversees both vaccine programs for the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration declined InvestigateTV's request for an interview.
The countermeasures program was created by Congress in 2010 to evaluate claims by patients who had an adverse reaction to a vaccine created in a public health emergency.
But critics argue that rather than create a new federal bureaucracy, Congress should have expanded the authority of an existing, decades old program known as the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program to handle pandemic-type vaccines. There now is a bipartisan push to move COVID cases into the vaccine program.
But even that effort has proved difficult.
In the meantime, Americans such as Laura Murray continue to wait for a resolution.
She calls month after month. Month after month she receives the same response, "It's in the queue."
Murray has been waiting three years.
A waiting gameShortly before receiving a COVID vaccine in early 2021, Murray's mother, Debra Richardson, had routine blood work done and results came back normal.
In February, she received the first dose of a COVID vaccine. Within two weeks, the 69-year-old from Summerville, South Carolina was fighting for her life.
"She called me and said, "I'm feeling a little dizzy, and I think you need to take me to the hospital,'" Murray said. "They did some tests on her and found out that she was extremely low on her platelets and that she was anemic."
Within weeks of receiving her first dose of a COVID vaccine, Debra Richardson was fighting for her life.(Jill RiepenhoffFamily photo)As her condition worsened, doctors diagnosed her with a life-threatening blood disorder where clots developed in her brain.
In her medical records reviewed by InvestigateTV, one doctor noted that Richardson's case "should be reported as a possible vaccine-related adverse event."
Doctors hoped that plasma infusions would cure her. But help came too late. Richardson died on March 19, 2021.
Her case is one of more than 670 claims for compensation related to a COVID vaccine death, federal records show.
"I want other people to know that this can be a potential side effect," Murray said of her efforts to both report the adverse reaction to the federal government and file for compensation.
Murray filed the claim on her mother's behalf and gathered her medical records. And then she began waiting and calling.
Laura Murray continues to wait for the federal government to made a decision on her deceased mother's COVID vaccine-injury claim.(Jill RiepenhoffInvestigateTV/Owen Hornstein)"You just want to know, you know, do you have my information? Is someone going to review the information? Are you going to deny my claim because you seem like you're stalling or not wanting to go through the process," Murray said. "It's very, very frustrating."
She started doing more research and found the number of Anne Toale, the attorney who handles vaccine injury cases.
During her 20 years in practice, Toale has represented patients who were injured by flu, measles, diphtheria and other routine public health vaccines.
Toale told Murray that there likely wasn't much she could do to help.
"Sadly," Toale said, "there's not a role for lawyers in the CICP," the program where the COVID cases are handled.
COVID case reviews are time-consuming and expensiveThe countermeasures program has now increased its staff to 34, Commander Grimes told members of Congress during a recent hearing on the government's response to COVID.
It also has contracted with 30 medical professionals to review cases, according to InvestigateTV's analysis of data from USASpending.Gov.
Commander George Reed Grimes, who runs the federal government's COVID compensation program, recently testified before Congress about the program's slow ramp up.(Jill RiepenhoffU.S. House of Representatives)Between Jan. 4, 2021 and March 1, 2024, the COVID program awarded 110 contracts to 30 medical professionals to review claims cases. Those contracts are worth nearly $2.5 million.
An additional $136,998 was earmarked for six medical professionals to serve as expert witnesses. Five of the six also serve as case reviewers.
As of March 1, the agency had sent just 450 injury and/or death claims for review to those 30 doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and others with advanced medical degrees.
One contract was given to a lawyer, who used to be a practicing nurse 40 years ago. She was paid nearly $90,000 to review nine cases and serve as an expert witness in four others.
One doctor received $24,000 to review a single case, another received $13,000 for a single review.
Though the program only has compensated 11 patients it has cleared about 2,000 cases because the patients either did not supply medical records, had no proof that their injury was caused by the vaccine, or they missed filing deadline of one year after vaccination.
Even so, without more reviewers and an infusion of millions of dollars from the federal government, the cases will continue to backlog, critics said.
"It boils down to leadership," said Dr. Lutz, the public health doctor from New Orleans. "I don't think effective leadership has been there."
Dr. Brobson Lutz, a former public health director for the city of New Orleans, says that while vaccines are safe-- those few who are injured should be compensated quickly and fairly.(Jill RiepenhoffInvestigateTV/Owen Hornstein) Injuries caused by COVID vaccines handled differentlySince 1986, the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program has reviewed claims related to reactions from flu, measles, polio and other routine public health vaccines.
Congress created the program after civil lawsuits against vaccine makers and healthcare providers threatened to cause vaccine shortages and reduce vaccination rates, according to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, which oversees both compensation agencies.
Since 1988 when the first claims were processed, the federal government has compensated more than 6,000 people who had adverse reactions to a flu vaccine, 111 who were injured by a tetanus vaccine and one person with a bad reaction to the mumps shot, HRSA data shows.
All told, the program has paid out more than $5.1 billion to nearly 10,500 adults and children injured by a vaccine, federal data shows.
The program is fully funded from administrative costs to compensation payments through a trust fund that collects a 75-cent excise tax on every vaccine given.
Unlike the COVID program, it doesn't rely on any tax dollars. And that's not the only difference, according to HRSA. In vaccine court:
· Patients who were injured by a vaccine have up to three years to file a claim or two years after a death. COVID cases only have one year after injection.
· The vaccine program compensates for documented "injuries with effects lasting for more than six months after the vaccine was given or resulted in inpatient hospitalization or surgery." COVID compensates for "serious physical injuries."
· The U.S. Department of Health and Services makes the determinations on COVID claims. In the vaccine program, those decisions are made by judges, called special masters, with the U.S. Federal Court of Claims.
· Lawyers, such as Toale, cannot recoup any fees for representing a patient with a COVID claim.
Toale said the current system is unfair to COVID patients because that vaccine now has become part of a regularly administered drug and should be treated the same as the seasonal flu.
There is a bipartisan bill pending in Congress to transfer the COVID cases into the vaccine program, but it has largely stalled.
In the meantime, Laura Murray continues to make her regular and seemingly futile calls, asking for an update on her case.
The spending data includes the case numbers of the claims assigned to the contracted medical professionals. Her case is not among them.
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