THE FIFTIES

At the beginning of the film, Forrest is inflicted with Polio

Poliomelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person.Poliomyelitis was first recognized as a distinct condition by Jakob Heine in 1840.The polio vaccine was developed by Jonas Salk in 1952 and Albert Sabin in 1962 . Enhanced vaccination efforts led by the World Health Organization, UNICEF and Rotary International could result in global eradication of the disease.

La poliomyélite pendant 2006 (Source: CHU Rouen)
♦ zones épidémiques
♦ zones endemosporadiques
♦ zones à risque de réinfections

POLIO still exists in some countries, as you can see on the map.