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Polio goes to the movies; documentary takes a look at the 'paralyzing fear'

By the 1950s, an average of 40,000 poliomyelitis cases were reported each year.

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November 1998

WASHINGTON, D.C. - An educational and emotionally moving film recently premiered on Public Broadcasting System television focusing on poliomyelitis and the annual fits of terror it created prior to the development of a vaccine.

"A Paralyzing Fear: The Story of Polio in America," which premiered at George Washington University here, evoked sadness for the large number of children who contracted the disease - and are now adults living with polio - and joy for the development of the vaccine and the number of cases it prevented. Those present at the premier included physicians, filmmakers, March of Dimes staff, industry representatives, individuals with the disease, and others.

"The film captures the terrible tragedy suffered by victims of polio. Now, thanks to the development and widespread use of polio vaccines, there has not been a case of wild-virus induced polio in the United States since 1979," said Walter A. Orenstein, MD, director of the National Immunization Program and a member of the Infectious Diseases in Children editorial board. "However, the film reinforces that we must be ever vigilant - it is so important to continue immunizing against polio because as long as the wild polio virus exists anywhere in the world, infection is only a plane ride away."

In-depth look

Although poliomyelitis has been documented since ancient Egyptian times, it wasn't until the 1890s that the disease became a public health concern in the United States. Between 1894 and 1907, there were 17 U.S. epidemics of varying intensity, but it was the 1916 epidemic that brought polio into the national limelight.

In the beginning, polio was commonly referred to as infantile paralysis because of its prevalence among young children. However, as more young adults and older children contracted the disease in the 1930s, the name polio was more commonly used.

The color documentary, narrated by actress Olympia Dukakis, looks at America's fear of the dreadful disease it could not contain. "A Paralyzing Fear" covers in detail the history of poliomyelitis and the fight against current epidemics. The film rekindles the memories of baby boomers over 40 and the annual fear of polio epidemics they faced and eventual the thrill throughout America when the vaccine was discovered.

Polio survivors - including a woman who has spent her life in and out of an iron lung - describe personal accounts of their battle with the paralyzing disease through a historical journey that begins with the 1916 U.S. outbreak. The journey continues with glimpses at the frightening epidemics of the 1940s and 1950s and the development of the Salk and Sabin vaccines in 1955 and 1961.

The film features images found in storage in the March of Dimes archives that have never been seen before, including Franklin D. Roosevelt in leg braces and playing in a pool at the Warm Springs Foundation with other polio victims.

The film ends with a present-day look at polio, which is still prevalent in many developing countries. While filming this movie, the film crew traveled to India to witness a National Immunization Day when 125 million children were immunized in one day with oral polio vaccine.

The 90-minute film was followed on most PBS stations by "Conquering Fear: Epidemic Disease Today," a 30-minute panel discussion featuring U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, MD, PhD, and hosted by National Public Radio correspondent Scott Simon. The program examined current polio issues in the United States and abroad, and discussed the future of childhood immunization.

"Conquering Fear: Epidemic Disease Today" looked at three modern epidemic disease issues: post-polio syndrome (which could affect as many as 600,000 American polio survivors), worldwide polio eradication efforts, and the future of immunization and vaccines.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), immunization rates in many parts of the country remain low: only 78% of children in the United States received the universally recommended immunizations by age 3 years.

The film's director, Nina Seavey, is also director of George Washington University's Center for History in the Media. The film was partially sponsored by Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the CDC Foundation.

"The film captured the mood of fear and uncertainty during the pre-vaccine era, yet had an optimism of what scientists and society can accomplish working together," said Geoffrey Evans, MD, medical director for the Health Resources and Services Administration Division of Vaccine Injury Compensation.

For your information:

• Hindley M. The haunting of summers past. Humanities 1997;5.

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Copyright 2000, SLACK Incorporated. Revised 15 September 2000.