[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 54 (Monday, April 26, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E646-E647]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  COMMEMORATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE POLIO VACCINE FIELD TRIALS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 26, 2004

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to join the March of Dimes in 
commemorating the 50th anniversary of the polio vaccine field trials. 
This day in April holds great significance for the nation as it was 
this day in 1954 that the first dose of the Salk vaccine was 
distributed to children at Franklin Sherman Elementary school in 
McLean, Virginia, as part of the National Field Trial Program.
  On that April day, thousands of parents drove their school-age 
children to designated sites across the country for immunizations of an 
experimental vaccine that they hoped would stop the raging polio 
epidemic that was leaving young Americans paralyzed and even, in some 
cases, dead. Organized by the March of Dimes, this was the largest 
voluntary clinical field trial ever undertaken.
  One year later, some 1.8 million children, known as the ``Polio 
Pioneers'' in 44 states from Maine to California eventually took part 
in the three-inoculation sequence--about 4,000 children just at 
Franklin Sherman. Following these trials, the Salk vaccine was declared 
safe, potent and effective and polio was virtually eliminated from 
North America. By the end of 2003, poliomyelitis had been eliminated 
worldwide in all but six countries.
  The March of Dimes, formerly known as the National Foundation for 
Infantile Paralysis, funded Dr. Jonas Salk's groundbreaking work on the 
Salk polio vaccine and then, through its volunteers and health 
networks, organized the vaccination clinics, record keeping, parents' 
meetings, blood samplings, stand-by transportation, and make-up clinics 
for absentees at each of the clinical trial sites.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me today in 
commemorating April 26 as

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the 50th anniversary of the Salk polio vaccine field trials.

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