Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine transformed America and the world in ways that seemed unimaginable. But in 1955, there was a moment when everything was in doubt. This week, Josh Levin talks with Dr. Paul Offit about the medical mystery that threatened to derail one of history’s most important scientific breakthroughs.
Josh Levin is One Year’s editorial director. One Year’s senior producer is Evan Chung.
This episode was produced by Kelly Jones, Evan Chung, and Sophie Summergrad.
It was edited by Josh Levin, Joel Meyer, and Derek John, Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts.
Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.
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1990: The Angry Death of Kimberly Bergalis
1990: Art on Trial
1990: Bush vs. Broccoli
1990: Mandrake the Magician
1990: Pizzastroika
1955: The Hiroshima Maidens
1955: Siberia, USA
1955: The Weather Girls
1955: The Crockett Craze
1955: The Team Nobody Would Play
1942: The Black-Japanese Axis
1942: When Internment Came to Alaska
1942: The Info Wars of World War II
1942: The Day the Music Stopped
1942: The Year Everyone Got Married
1942: The Most Hated Man in America
1986: The Man From Fifth Avenue
1986: The Miracle of Cokeville
1986: Herschel vs. the Blubber Busters
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