ow the polio virus antibodies in the nervous tissue of monkeys. It would not be beneficial for humans because in previous research it had been found that humans are highly allergic to other animal’s nervous tissue. Though it wasn’t the end, this was very good news. Many other researchers believed that only a live, weakened polio virus could be the only effective vaccine. Dr. Morgan proved them wrong.Around the same time as infecting the monkeys and finding a cure for them, another great breakthrough came. Dr. John F. Enders of Boston reported successfully growing a polio virus in a test tube containing non-nervous human tissue.On July 12, 1950, Dr. Jonas Salk formally asked the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (NFIP) for a grant to continue work on a polio vaccine. The grant was approved. As soon as Salk had all his supplies and was beginning, a major problem developed. The workers were unable to duplicate the work of Dr. Enders; to go on, they had to find a way to grow polio virus in bottles with non-nervous human tissue. Dr. Salk found an error that the workers had made and soon various strains of polio virus were growing strong. Each strain was a different type and was killed to be placed in a safe vaccine.The first strain was a Type I virus taken from a patient in Ohio with the name of Mahoney, this strain was named after Mahoney. The Type II strain was called MEF-1, it had been collected by doctors working with the American Middle East Forces that were stationed in Egypt during WWII. The body of a paralyzed little boy in Pittsburgh’s Municipal Hospital gave Dr. Salk the Type III, Salkett, strain.Many experiments were needed now to create the vaccine. Salk and his assistants needed to find out how much formalin was needed to kill the virus just not enough to be a threat. They also needed to know how long and at what temperature the flasks of tissue and formalin needed to sit so as to be able to produce...
