Poliomielitis en España: del pasado al presente, un desafío continuo

Poliomyelitis, one of the great protagonists of the 20th century, left an indelible mark on the history of Public Health. Its cycle of emergence, expansion, decline and eventual path to eradication marked a turning point, not only in medicine, but also in the social perception of epidemics. The Spanish Journal of Public Health has always been sensitive to the impact that this disease had on the history of Public Health and eleven years ago it dedicated a monographic issue to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of anti-polio vaccination campaigns in Spain. This editorial responds to the contributions of this monograph that delves into the history of poliomyelitis and vaccination in Spain, the epidemiological impact of vaccination programs, scientific advances in post-polio syndrome, without leaving aside the new challenges posed by the disease, in order to provide a response and visibility to its true protagonists: the patients.