One August day I was outside in front of our home playing hopscotch with some of the other girls in the neighborhood, when I realized I did not feel well. A few days later, my right arm was paralyzed.

“My favorite part was how on one of the first pages it said ‘Adults kept away from bakeries and banks. Children kept away from pools and parks’ and then later in the book it said ‘Adults headed to bakeries and banks. Children headed to pools and parks’.

I liked this part very much because it showed how Jonas Salk made sure that people could go safely to where they wanted to go, and that meant that they did not have to live in fear anymore.

By Chloe

“Turning Points in History” was the theme for the 2024 National History Day Competition. We celebrate the work of Chloe and Daniela for their successful entry. “Jonas Salk: How the Polio Vaccine Changed Public Health”

"To end polio, we need to stop all types of the virus. Novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) is an improved vaccine for stopping outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2). Learn more about cVDPV2 and the potential of nOPV2 for outbreak response."

“Tuskegee University's critical role in treating Black children with polio and the first vaccine at the height of segregation." From ABC News

My parents decided to volunteer our entire family (themselves included), feeling strongly that it was the right thing to do.

"From preparing coolers with vaccines to collecting and utilizing data to adjust the strategy of vaccination campaigns, these centers serve as a critical community hub in our efforts to end polio."