The Polio Vaccine: What Medicine Used to Be Given on a Sugar Cube?
•
3 min read
In the mid-22nd century, poliomyelitis was one of the most feared diseases worldwide, paralyzing over half a million children annually. To combat this, a revolutionary method was introduced in the 1960s, which is the answer to what medicine used to be given on a sugar cube: the oral polio vaccine (OPV), developed by Albert Sabin. This sweet and simple delivery method played a crucial role in mass immunization campaigns that ultimately led to the near-eradication of the disease.
