Final answer:
Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin are the two scientists who developed the first effective vaccines against polio. The Salk vaccine, an injected vaccine using a killed virus, was introduced in 1955, while the Sabin vaccine, an oral vaccine using a live attenuated virus, followed in 1962. Both vaccines were instrumental in bringing polio under control and led to a dramatic decrease in cases worldwide.
Step-by-step explanation:
Polio is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. The development of the polio vaccine was a major scientific achievement that helped bring this crippling disease under control. The two scientists responsible for developing the first effective vaccines against polio were Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin.
Jonas Salk created the first polio vaccine using a killed virus, which was introduced in 1955. His vaccine required an intramuscular injection to create immunity. The Salk vaccine was tested through a massive study involving over a million schoolchildren, proving to be 80 to 90 percent effective in preventing polio. As a result of his work, Salk became a national hero and the incidence of polio in the U.S. was reduced by 96 percent by 1961.
Following Salk's success, Albert Sabin developed a different polio vaccine that used a live but attenuated (weakened) virus. Introduced in 1962, the Sabin vaccine was administered orally, which made it easier to distribute and administer than the Salk vaccine. The Sabin vaccine was also effective against all three serotypes of the poliovirus and played a significant role in the further reduction of polio cases worldwide.
Their collective work on the polio vaccines not only controlled the disease but also paved the way for mass immunization campaigns and the development of vaccines against other infectious diseases, changing for the better the landscape of global health.