Historia de la lucha contra la poliomielitis en México: 1925-2024

This work studies the policy of the Mexican State to eliminate poliomyelitis, from 1925 —the year in which the Mexican health authorities began to register cases of the disease— to the present day. It argues that several stages can be distinguished in this effort: in the first, the so-called epidemic infantile paralysis had not yet reached the country, but it was already a concern of health professionals and health authorities; in the second, medical sciences lacked the means to prevent or treat the disease, but public health specialists gathered important epidemiological information; in the third, an attempt was made to prevent the disease by applying gamma globulin to children, for which purpose blood collections were held in many Mexican cities; in the fourth, the Salk killed virus vaccine first, and the Sabin attenuated virus vaccine later on; they were tested and then produced by the Mexican State; in the fifth stage, vaccination was massive and compulsory and achieved the elimination of the disease from the country; and in the sixth, or post-elimination period, for various reasons polio continues to be a present concern. Keywords: Poliomyelitis; epidemics; vaccination; elimination; Mexico.