Elvis Presley, the king of rock and roll and part of a remarkable campaign that
would see an end to a disease that was ravaging the youth of 1950s America.
During the first half of the 20th century polio epidemics swept through America
affecting thousands of lives with a painful illness that could paralyse and disable.
Whilst the virus could affect all ages, it was particularly prevalent among children.
My name is Stephen Mawdsley I'm a historian at the University of Cambridge and I'm interested in how
teenagers harnessed youth culture during the 1950s in order to increase uptake of vaccination amongst
their peers and how my research speaks to public health challenges today.
The national crusade to conquer the disease was led by a health charity The National Foundation For Infantile Paralysis
which was established in 1938 by President Franklin D Roosevelt and his law partner Basil O'Connor.
O'Connor was a savvy leader who utilised PR specialists to cultivate celebrity endorsement
for a hugely successful fundraising strategy that encouraged the general public to donate small
amounts to the charity. The campaign was named The March of Dimes and it raised millions of dollars.
The foundation waged war on polio by investing in medical treatment health education and research
by April 1955 the foundation's sponsorship of research culminated in the licensing of a vaccine
developed by Dr Jonas Salk which was declared safe and effective following a massive field trial.
The vaccine could be considered 80 to 90 percent effective
against Paralytic Polio Myelitis.
The Crippler had been conquered
While most children were vaccinated in the following years, the uptake amongst teens was low.
Many possible factors were identified; cost, apathy and ignorance became serious
setbacks to the eradication effort.
Foundation officials realised that special strategies
and knowledge of teen culture could help them reach a younger demographic.
Under the slogan 'Teens Against Polio' the foundation mobilised and trained a group of
teenagers to become fundraisers, health educators and grassroots activists.
With foundation support
teens experimented with strategies to inspire their peers to seek protection against polio.
This was the age of the rock and roll rebel. Music, television, dancing and movies were huge
influences on youth culture along with growing consumerism and leisure time.
Rock and roll music sales boomed as teens purchased the latest records from Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry or Little Richard.
Exploiting teen culture, Teens Against Polio otherwise known as TAP and allied youth groups,
organised exclusive dances with live bands. One could enter for free by showing proof of
vaccination with an immunisation card.
'Sock Hops' where teens shed their shoes to take
to the dance floor were dubbed 'Salk Hops' in recognition of Dr Jonas Salk.
Some TAP members advocated dating restrictions for unvaccinated men promoted as the 'no shots no dates' tactic,
young women were asked to deny the dating requests of would-be suitors until they were vaccinated.
Although teen health activists could not solve all the challenges facing vaccination, their
strategies had a remarkable effect. Through their enthusiastic approach and innovative ideas, teens
broadened the scope of the Foundation's vaccine campaign by addressing fears, access restrictions
and misinformation about polio. As teen vaccination increased fewer cases of polio emerged
By 1960 the annual incidence of polio had decreased by nearly 90 percent since
1950 and the introduction of the oral polio vaccine helped to eradicate polio in America altogether.
Teens Against Polio shows the importance of identifying populations
that are not participating in vaccination programs and empowering them to influence
the delivery of public health initiatives to best meet the needs of the community.