Injectable polio vaccine that was created in 1955 to combat the virus has turned 60 years old.

The vaccine saved many lives was developed, thousands of children across the globe who were crippled by the dangerous disease poliomyelitis or infantile paralysis caused by poliovirus.

The vaccine was introduced in April 12, 1955 by John Salk for polio treatment AND was declared safe and effective. With this, there was an initiation of a new goal to eradicate polio completely from the face of earth.

World Health Organization (WHO) and National Health Organization are trying to pursue the goal since then. Polio has been eradicated in every country except Pakistan, where 21 new cases of polio have been reported.

The vaccine was developed by Salk and his team at the University of Pittsburg. He came into limelight and became a hero as his vaccine saved millions of children. It is till saving millions of children across the globe even after 60 years. WHO expects zero polio cases by 2018.

Now at its 60th birthday, the injection is rapidly replacing the oral polio vaccine that was considered to be painless and much more effective.

Most of the developed and developing countries switched over to the oral polio vaccine ever since it was introduced. It covered the demand for the injectable polio vaccine so much the health experts completely stopped using the injectable vaccine.

However, this scenario is changing at a fast pace in the developed world especially in the US. The injectable vaccine has quietly made a comeback only because it has been found to be more effective in completely eradicating the presence of poliovirus.

There is always 1 in 750,000 chance of being infected with the virus with the oral virus, as a weakened virus is used for vaccination. However, the injectable vaccine kills poliovirus and guarantees complete protection against polio.