The Cutter Incident and Its Impact

In 1955, Cutter Laboratories, a California-based company, was among the first licensed to produce the Salk polio vaccine. However, some batches of their vaccine contained live poliovirus due to incomplete inactivation processes. This led to what became known as the "Cutter Incident," resulting in over 200,000 children being exposed to the live virus, with 70,000 developing muscle weakness, 164 suffering from paralysis, and 10 fatalities.

Despite following the existing guidelines, Cutter Laboratories faced significant consequences, including lawsuits and a loss of public trust. The incident highlighted the need for stricter safety protocols in vaccine production and led to reforms in the regulatory oversight of biologics.

While Dr. Youngner was not affiliated with Cutter Laboratories, his contributions to the development and safety testing of the polio vaccine played a crucial role in ensuring the overall success and safety of the vaccination campaign.

In 1955, Dr. Bernice Eddy and Dr. Julius S. Youngner played pivotal roles in the development and safety testing of the polio vaccine, particularly in response to the Cutter Laboratories incident.

Dr. Bernice Eddy

Dr. Bernice Eddy was a virologist at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) who conducted safety tests on polio vaccines. In August 1954, while testing a batch from Cutter Laboratories, she discovered that three of six samples caused paralysis in test monkeys, indicating the presence of live poliovirus. Despite reporting her findings to her supervisor, Dr. William Workman, her concerns were not communicated to the licensing committee, and the vaccine was approved for public use. The subsequent release of the vaccine led to over 200,000 people being infected with live polio virus, resulting in 70,000 developing muscle weakness, 164 being severely paralyzed, and 10 dying. This event, known as the Cutter Incident, highlighted the need for stringent safety protocols in vaccine production.

Dr. Julius S. Youngner

Dr. Julius S. Youngner was a microbiologist at the University of Pittsburgh who contributed significantly to the development of the polio vaccine. He developed methods for large-scale production of the poliovirus and techniques for inactivating the virus while retaining its ability to stimulate an immune response. Additionally, he created a rapid colorimetric test using phenol red to detect live virus in vaccine batches, ensuring the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.