Top 7 Greatest Scientific Discoveries - Page 7 of 9

The Polio vaccine

Polio, also known as poliomyelitis or infantile paralysis, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. For many there are no symptoms. In the 1950s, there was a large worldwide outbreak of the polio virus. However, in 1953, the American medical researcher Jonas Salk discovered the vaccine against the polio. Salk effectively stopped polio overnight. Today, the risk of dying from polio is almost completely gone thanks to this great scientific discovery.