Final answer:
Before the 1950s, the viral outbreak that affected the US was polio. Jonas Salk's discovery of the polio vaccine was controversial. Some people choose not to vaccinate due to various reasons.
Step-by-step explanation:
Before the 1950s, the viral outbreak that affected the US was polio. Polio is caused by a virus and it can lead to devastating illness and paralysis. Jonas Salk's discovery of the polio vaccine was controversial because it used a killed virus instead of a live one, which was the standard approach at the time. Some people choose not to vaccinate due to concerns about vaccine safety, religious beliefs, or misinformation about vaccines.