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Jonas Salk Fan Club

Imagine quarantining most summers. For years on end. For fear of a virus that spread mysteriously. Some people developed mild, flu-like symptoms. Others, maybe no symptoms at all. Thousands others develop permanent paralysis, some even die. That was reality of living in fear of the polio virus for much of the world for the first half of the 1900s; by mid-century the tide turned for much of the world because of the generosity of spirit of Jonas Salk.

HIL54497CHILDPOLIO Physical therapist assisting two small children with polio holding on to rail. (Both are in braces). 1963 Charles Farmer, AVS tray #129, B 54497

Jonas Salk was an American virologist and medical researcher. He developed one of the first successful polio vaccines. We love him because when American broadcast journalist Ed Murrow asked him, “Who owns the patent?” Salk famously said, “Well, THE PEOPLE, I would say. There is no patent. Could you patent the sun?”

“Who owns the patent?”

-American broadcast journalist Ed Murrow to Jonas Salk

“Well, THE PEOPLE, I would say. There is no patent. Could you patent the sun?”

Jonas Salk

We’re uplifting Salk’s amazing legacy because March 26, 2021 marks the 68th anniversary of the development of the Salk polio vaccine. Salk and his team at the University of Pittsburgh could have made the choice to patent the vaccine. They didn’t. That choice made it possible for drug manufactures to develop and distribute over 400 million doses, and reduce the prevalence of polio by 90% within a matter of years.

As we mark the first grim anniversary of the WHO declaring the Coronavirus a global pandemic, and we must celebrate and normalize Salk’s generosity of spirit and its impact on global health.

As it stands now, about 85% of the worlds population will not receive adequate doses of the COVID-19 vaccine until 2023. That doesn’t have to be the case.

MORE HERE??

FAN CLUB MEMORABILIA

This fan club is made by the Bigify Salk squad of the Free the Vaccine Campaign.

Join the fan club (link to FTV campaign email/google form) today and receive special memorabilia in the mail including:

PINS

FLAT SALK

Miss hugging your friends and family? Missing hanging out with your besties at a favorite bar, restaurant, the movies, the museum a library??? (more here, edits welcome!)

Print out this nifty Jonas Salk figure and snap a selfie and tag #saluteSalk and #freethevaccine in observation Jonas Salk Day, March 26.

ASK YOUR CITY TO DECLARE MARCH 26 JONAS SALK DAY

JAM OUT!!!

While you personalize your Flat Salk and dream up all the places you want to take selfies with him, or write to your city to declare March 26 Jonas Salk day, or take your access to medicines personality quiz, why not check out this track, “Could you patent the sun?”

Could you patent the sun? Check out this track by Free the Vaccine supporter Deonte Keitt aka DJ Chalant created for our campaign. Follow Deonte on instagram: DJChalant and Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DJChalant

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