Polio: An American Story Free Audiobook Download by David Oshinsky

In this audiobook, David Oshinsky tells the story of America's longest lasting public health nightmare. From the year 1898 to 1952, a total of 58,965 people were struck down with polio in the United States. This huge number led to many Americans fearing that they might contract the disease and die just like those who were killed by the dreaded illness. The fear was not unfounded as in 1952 there were nearly 3,000 cases of polio in one month alone.

In the 1950s, a vaccine for polio was discovered. It would be used to immunize people against the disease by giving them a small amount of virus from the spinal fluid of someone who was paralyzed from polio. During the course of testing, however, it was discovered that giving this leg-breaking virus to children could cause paralysis. Then, in 1955, a new version of the vaccine, which would not paralyze anyone but still kill some viruses and spare others, was introduced.

The audiobook Polio: An American Story narrated by Jonathan Hogan is downloaded today. As an epidemiologist, I have been studying the history of polio in America. The disease raged during the early 20th century, posing a deadly threat to children across the country. In my research, I found that during the 1940s and 1950s, dozens of parents assumed they could protect their children from polio by avoiding public parks and playing fields. Today, we know that every child needs a safe space to play and socialize because healthy children are more likely to grow up healthy.

In the late 19th century, there was a polio epidemic in America. Before this disease, no one was really aware of what polio is or how it occurs and so poor sanitation contributed to its spread. This epidemic led to the creation of a vaccine that would stop the virus from spreading.

Polio is a paralyzing and sometimes deadly viral infection of the nervous system. This audiobook tells the story of how, in the 20th century, American doctors and scientists learned how to eradicate it.