On display steps from my desk at the Smithsonian Castle is a vial from the 1954 trial of the polio vaccine. From the collection of our @amhistorymuseum, the story of the development of the vaccine is a good one. But I'm even more intrigued by the small pin beside it.

The pin designated the wearer as a "Polio Pioneer" participating in a national trial of the new polio vaccine. With caregiver consent, the Pioneers were American school kids in first, second, and third grades, targeted for the trial because most cases occurred in kids under 10.

The Pioneers received cards like this one. I find it touching that people, perhaps out of pride, saved the cards until we could collect them. Kids also received a piece of candy—none of which lasted long enough to make its way into @amhistorymuseum's collection.

When I see these objects, I marvel at both the success of the polio vaccine, which resulted in the near eradication of the virus in the U.S. by the early 1960s, but also by the families who participated in the trial for the wellbeing of others, for our communal health.

I have vivid memories of waiting in a line that seemed to stretch on and on to get my polio vaccine. Later, I remember the thrill of getting a sugar cube with drops of the Sabin vaccine. I was just a kid, but I knew enough to fear polio.

Today we may view polio as an easily prevented, distant disease. But in the decade before I was born, polio was a true menace, disabling tens of thousands of people in the U.S. each year. Parents feared letting kids play outside. Quarantines were put in place to control spread.

COVID-19 has been a reminder that the actions we take have effects well beyond our own bubbles. Protecting ourselves and our communities go hand-in-hand. I hope you'll take a moment to learn more about the history of polio from our @amhistorymuseum. https://s.si.edu/3rETVtZ