1958

NIH developed a special committee to assess Sabin’s vaccine.

In 1958, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) developed a special committee in the Division of Biologics Standards (DBS) to assess live oral polio vaccines. The committee was charged with testing virus strains that had been approved for use in manufacturing the oral vaccine. Researchers around the world began studies of the effectiveness and safety of Sabin’s oral polio vaccine. Dr. Ruth Kirschstein and Dr. Samuel Baron led the committee. Dr. Roderick Murray, Dr. Gerald Van Hoosier, Dr. Samuel Baron, and Lab Technician George Rusten were also involved in polio safety testing.