Timeline / Citizenship, Services, and Sovereignty / 1952: Polio outbreak affects many Alaska Natives
1952: Polio outbreak affects many Alaska Natives
At Ketchikan, 74 cases of polio are reported to the Alaska Department of Health. The Tsimshian tribe located 15 miles south of Ketchikan is also affected, in communities such as Metlakatla, Alaska. Tribal leaders say that polio vaccine did not reach the community soon enough.
- Theme
- Epidemics
- Region
- Northwest Coast
Courtesy Alaska State Library Photograph Collection