In the 1950's a Polio outbreak swept the U.S., devastating communities nationwide.

The Polio Crusade American Experience

Premiered March 31, 2020
The Polio Crusade: asset-mezzanine-16x9
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The Polio Crusade

In the summer of 1950 Wytheville, VA realized the nation's worst medical fears. An outbreak of Infantile Paralysis, commonly known as Polio, swept through a small town of 5,500 in which 40 percent of residents had not yet reached their eighteenth birthday. Highly contagious, just in time for summer vacation, the devastating neurodegenerative disease had chosen its next target.

About the Program

American Experience

American Experience, TV's most-watched history series, brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.

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