Salk Polio Vaccine, Saukett Strain
date: label: date made
content: 1952
name: label: maker
content: Salk, Jonas E.
notes: label: Description
content: Jonas Salk first tested his polio vaccine on humans in July 1952 when he inoculated thirty children at the D. T. Watson Home for Crippled Children near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. These children had already had polio, so Salk's test was designed to prove that his vaccine would create a higher level of immunity than a natural infection. Salk also tested his vaccine on residents of the Polk State Home and on himself and members of his laboratory staff.
label: Description
content: This vial contains residue of polio vaccine from these first tests. The polio virus exists in hundreds of different strains, all of which fall into three major types. A complete vaccine must contain a strain from each of these three types. However, the children at the Watson Home received only one type of vaccine matching the strain of their original polio infection. This vial is labeled for the Saukett strain (Type III).
label: Description
content: Researchers isolated this strain from James Sarkett who contracted polio when he was ten years old. However the label on the sample taken from Sarkett was misread as “Saukett.” In scientific and medical research the strain continues to be referred to as the “Saukett strain.”
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh
topic: label: Subject
content: Vaccines
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
label: See more items in
content: Health & Medicine
label: See more items in
content: The Antibody Initiative
label: See more items in
content: National Treasures exhibit
label: See more items in
content: Antibody Initiative: Polio
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Kendrick, Kathleen M. and Peter C. Liebhold. Smithsonian Treasures of American History
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MG.221419.05
label: catalog number
content: 221419.05
label: accession number
content: 221419
objectType: label: Object Name
content: vaccine, polio
label: Object Name
content: biological
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: vaccine residue, polio virus (overall, drug ingredient)
label: Physical Description
content: rubber; fabric; ink; adhesive (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (overall, container material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 5.4 cm x 2.5 cm; 2 1/8 in x in
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2 1/8 in x 1 in; x 5.3975 cm x 2.54 cm