This is the best DVD video compilation available on the subject of polio virus and polio vaccines. Two great movies from the mid-20th century are featured: Unconditional Surrender and Babies and Breadwinners. Both movies offer a different look at poliomyelitis virus, from the gut wrenching pictures of sick children in wheelchairs and leg braces in Unconditional Surrender to the vaccination program coordination in Columbus Ohio in Babies and Breadwinners. There are plenty of historic pictures of polio treatment and the people living through the paralyzing disease. Some of the most common questions for people learning about polio and the vaccine for the first time are: What is polio? What are the symptoms...what are the causes of polio? This DVD compilation helps answer those questions and offers a glance at the history of polio in America and people who spearheaded the drive to mass vaccination.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Unconditional Surrender (1956) - 15 minutes
- This video catalogs the history of the vaccine for polio (poliomyelitis), a debilitating disease universally feared in the early twentieth century. The polio vaccine was developed in 1954 by Jonas Salk, following rounds of extensive testing. In April of 1955, after testing its effectiveness, Eli Lilly began production of the vaccine, strictly following safety protocols. Even today, a polio vaccination is a necessary precaution that effectively ensures the health of all children.
Babies and Breadwinners (1961) - 24 minutes
- The polio epidemic in early 20th century America was a crippling (literally) health threat that seized the nation. This film, Babies and Breadwinners, documents the polio vaccination campaign in Columbus, Georgia. The film is a wonderful look at a typical 1960s community and how it was able to band together in order to fight off a menacing disease. Babies and Breadwinners is a remarkable film that well documents the fight against polio as well as 60s community life.
