During the early to mid-twentieth century, polio posed a significant threat to the American people, especially during the summer.
Prior to the polio vaccine, the virus paralyzed and killed thousands of people each year. In 1952 alone, there were an estimated 58,000 polio cases in the United States leading to around 3,000 deaths.
This chart provides data on national polio cases and death rates from 1910-1954.
