The Entire staff
at
IVIDI
Both were workaholics, and
neither was very religious,
especially Salk. Sabin was
more active in Jewish charita-
ble causes and strongly sup-
ported Israel.
"Some people referred to
The Crusade Mat Mobilized lie Nation
Sabin as the 'smart Jew' and
;ire 20th Century's
Salk as the 'young Jew,'"
feared Disease
Oshinsky. relates.
"Competitors felt Salk was too
aggressive and pushy, but that
was an incorrect characteriza-
tion. He was smart and ambi-
tious, and his rivals were jeal-
ous of him because he was
making so much research
progress."
Salk, fearing a flu epidemic
after World War II of the type
that devastated the globe after
World War I, had begun work
on a flu vaccine before turning
to polio research. He became
America's first major "celebri-
ty-scientist," using the media
for his benefit — and being
"He was beloved almost everywhere but in his
used
in return.
own profession," says author David Ovshinsky
"He was beloved almost
about Dr. Jonas Salk.
everywhere but in his own
profession," Oshinsky
observes, stressing that Salk
be crippled in this era was viewed by
was the only one of the major polio
many as a moral failing — a charac-
researchers not to be inducted into
ter flaw. This marked the start of a
conscious campaign by Roosevelt and the prestigious National Academy of
Sciences.
his inner circle to shield a massive
"However, Salk's Jewishness was a
disability from public view." It would
great comfort to the parents of Jewish
last through his 13 years as president.
children everywhere," he adds.
The book also reveals the use of
"Many were wary of their kids get-
institutionalized children as "volun-
ting shots of this really unknown vac-
teers" in potentially dangerous vac-
cine in the 1954 test trials, but it was
cine experiments, raising many ethi-
comforting to them to know the vac-
cal issues. It explains how Salk came
cine was developed by a fellow Jew."
close to having his career ruined —
Oshinsky, a Conservative Jew, is
before he became famous — due to
proud that his parents, a school prin-
his earlier left-wing political beliefs;
cipal and a teacher, were extremely
he almost had his security clearance
active in Jewish charities and loved
denied after an FBI investigation dur-
Polio: An American Story is
literature.
ing that Communist-conscious era.
his
seventh
book, on subjects ranging
Other topics include the Cutter
from Sen. Joseph McCarthy to slav-
Laboratory vaccine fiasco of 1955,
ery and Jim Crowism. He taught for
which killed and paralyzed dozens of
30 years at Rutgers University before
children, and the ongoing bitter rival-
moving to Texas.
ry between Salk, Sabin and
The author notes that Salk didn't
Koprowski. Salk's research focused on
profit
much from his discovery, say-
the "killed-virus" polio vaccine; the
ing he couldn't patent the polio cure
other two researched a "live-virus"
because "it belonged to the people."
vaccine.
He reasoned: "You can't patent the
sun; and neither can my vaccine be
patented." Salk's last years were spent
Anti-Semitism
searching for an AIDs vaccine. He
Oshinsky touches on the anti-
died at age 80 in 1995. His three
Semitism that was rampant in the
sons, all physicians, are carrying on
nation at that time, preventing Salk
his
medical legacy. ❑
and Sabin from getting into medical
An American Story
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