No one livÂing has expeÂriÂenced a viral event the size and scope of COVID-19. Maybe the unpreceÂdentÂed nature of the panÂdemÂic explains some of the vacÂcine resisÂtance. DisÂeases of such virÂuÂlence became rare in places with ready access to vacÂcines, and thus, ironÂiÂcalÂly, over time, have come to seem less danÂgerÂous. But there are still many peoÂple in wealthy nations who rememÂber polio, an epiÂdemÂic that dragged on through the first half of the 20th cenÂtuÂry before Jonas Salk perÂfectÂed his vacÂcine in the mid-fifties.
Polio’s devÂasÂtaÂtion has been summed up visuÂalÂly in textÂbooks and docÂuÂmenÂtaries by the terÂriÂfyÂing iron lung, an earÂly venÂtiÂlaÂtor. “At the height of the outÂbreaks in the late 1940s,” Meilan SolÂly writes at SmithÂsonÂian, “polio parÂaÂlyzed an averÂage of more than 35,000 peoÂple each year,” parÂticÂuÂlarÂly affectÂing chilÂdren, with 3,000 deaths in 1952 alone. “Spread viralÂly, it proved fatal for two out of ten vicÂtims afflictÂed with paralÂyÂsis. Though milÂlions of parÂents rushed to inocÂuÂlate their chilÂdren folÂlowÂing the introÂducÂtion of Jonas Salk’s vacÂcine in 1955, teenagers and young adults had proven more relucÂtant to get the shot.”
At the time, there were no vioÂlent, orgaÂnized protests against the vacÂcine, nor was resisÂtance framed as a patriÂotÂic act of politÂiÂcal loyÂalÂty. But “cost, apaÂthy and ignoÂrance became seriÂous setÂbacks to the eradÂiÂcaÂtion effort,” says hisÂtoÂriÂan Stephen MawdÂsÂley. And, then as now, irreÂsponÂsiÂble media perÂsonÂalÂiÂties with large platÂforms and litÂtle knowlÂedge could do a lot of harm to the public’s conÂfiÂdence in life-savÂing pubÂlic health meaÂsures, as when influÂenÂtial gosÂsip columÂnist WalÂter Winchell wrote that the vacÂcine “may be a killer,” disÂcourÂagÂing countÂless readÂers from getÂting a shot.
When Elvis PresÂley made his first appearÂance on Ed SulÂliÂvan’s show in 1956, “immuÂnizaÂtion levÂels among AmerÂiÂcan teens were at an abysmal 0.6 perÂcent,” note Hal HerÂshÂfield and Ilana Brody at SciÂenÂtifÂic AmerÂiÂcan. To counter impresÂsions that the polio vacÂcine was danÂgerÂous, pubÂlic health offiÂcials did not soleÂly rely on getÂting more and betÂter inforÂmaÂtion to the pubÂlic; they also took seriÂousÂly what HerÂshÂfield and Brody call the “cruÂcial ingreÂdiÂents inherÂent to many of the most effecÂtive behavÂioral change camÂpaigns: social influÂence, social norms and vivid examÂples.” SatÂisÂfyÂing all three, Elvis stepped up and agreed to get vacÂciÂnatÂed “in front of milÂlions” backÂstage before his secÂond appearÂance on the SulÂliÂvan show.
Elvis could not have been more famous, and the camÂpaign was a sucÂcess for its tarÂget audiÂence, estabÂlishÂing a new social norm through influÂence and examÂple: “VacÂciÂnaÂtion rates among AmerÂiÂcan youth skyÂrockÂetÂed to 80 perÂcent after just six months.” Despite the threat he supÂposÂedÂly posed to the estabÂlishÂment, Elvis himÂself was ready to serve the pubÂlic. “I cerÂtainÂly nevÂer wanÂna do anyÂthing,” he said, “that would be a wrong influÂence.” See in the short video at the top how AmerÂiÂcan pubÂlic health offiÂcials stopped milÂlions of preÂventable deaths and disÂabilÂiÂties by admitÂting a fact proÂpaÂganÂdists and adverÂtisÂers nevÂer shy from — humans, on the whole, are easÂiÂly perÂsuadÂed by celebriÂties. SomeÂtimes they can even be perÂsuadÂed for the good.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Yo-Yo Ma Plays an ImprompÂtu PerÂforÂmance in VacÂcine ClinÂic After ReceivÂing 2nd Dose
Dying in the Name of VacÂcine FreeÂdom
How Do VacÂcines (IncludÂing the COVID-19 VacÂcines) Work?: Watch AniÂmatÂed IntroÂducÂtions
How VacÂcines Improved Our World In One GraphÂic
Josh Jones is a writer and musiÂcian based in Durham, NC. FolÂlow him at @jdmagness
Aaaaannnddd…the polio vacÂcine itself parÂaÂlyzed tens of thouÂsands, too. So, yeah, it is a great comÂparÂiÂson to the COVID “vacÂcine.
Art Brentpn. EviÂdence for your claim?
LOL, or actuÂalÂly, COL. it wouldÂn’t matÂter to you; you have your narÂraÂtive.