Content
Skip to Main ContentAccessibility Help
Under the Influence

How Elvis got teens vaccinated against polio

When immunization levels dropped among teens in the 1950s, health officials needed a little less conversation, a little more action.
CBC Radio ·
Elvis Presley had immense influence over teens in the '50s. And one day, the King of Rock n Roll decided to use that influence for an important cause. (Getty Images)
Under the Influence27:26A Moment I’ll Never Forget: The Power of PSAs

Back in the 1950's, the polio epidemic spread across the world. Scientists hoped a vaccine would eliminate the dreaded disease. In 1954, the New York City Health Department launched a massive publicity campaign to promote polio vaccinations. The vaccination had been developed by Jonas Salk.

Over 900,000 New Yorkers got vaccinated, and the number of new polio cases in the city fell to almost zero. But then something happened.

Columnist and media personality Walter Winchell threw cold water on the initiative, saying the vaccine might, in fact, cause deaths. His influence stoked fear among teenagers – who were at the highest risk of contracting polio – so they stopped getting vaccinated. Immunization levels among teens dropped to an abysmal 0.6 percent, and polio was paralyzing an average of 35,000 kids annually. The medical community needed a way to reach those teenagers. So they turned to someone who had incredible sway over that demographic.

Elvis Presley's career had skyrocketed after his historic appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show.

In 1956, "Heartbreak Hotel" had reached #1 on the charts, and Love Me Tender, his debut film, would be released that November. So on September 9, 1956, before the Ed Sullivan Show started, Presley smiled, rolled up his sleeves in front of the press, and Sullivan himself, and let a doctor and nurse give him a polio shot in his arm. Elvis publicized the moment by sending photos of his inoculation out across the nation.

Teens all across Canada and the United States followed in Elvis's footsteps and got the polio shot. As a matter of fact, vaccination rates among youth soared to 80 percent just six months later.

That was Elvis's superpower. He was admired by the hardest-to-reach population – teenagers. Seeing him get vaccinated was far more powerful than any statistic, political speech, or sombre commercial. In many ways, that photo of Elvis was one of the most effective public service messages of all time.

For more on the Power of PSAs, click or tap the play button above to hear the full episode of Under the Influence. Find more episodes on the CBC Listen app or subscribe to the podcast.