For example, polio killed six thousand people in the United States in nineteen sixteen. Twenty-seven thousand other Americans suffered permanent damage.

BOB DOUGHTY: For years, polio remained a frightening health threat. Many victims were children and young adults. Families tried all kinds of ways to protect their children.

A teacher living in the United States remembers wanting to go swimming as a child. But her mother always said, “It is too dangerous during the polio season.”

The mother was right. Hot summers were disastrous. In the summer of nineteen fifty-two, more than fifty-seven thousand people were infected with polio in the United States alone. Although parents worked hard to protect their children, the disease kept spreading.

FAITH LAPIDUS: Some polio victims of those earlier days have lived to become well known in sports, medicine, the arts and other fields. Doctors say they often see such bravery and energy in patients who had polio. But researchers are working for the day when not one more person will ever suffer from the disease.

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This program was written by Jerilyn Watson. June Simms was our producer. I'm ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Faith Lapidus.

BOB DOUGHTY:

And I'm Bob Doughty. Join us again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.