Originally Posted by
Dave Cutter
I had to think about that. You're obviously much younger than myself. I remember those three consecutive Sundays back in 1960. "Sabin Sundays" they were called. People smiled, laughed, I remember seeing a few tears too. Trust me.... people know progress when it happens.
The Sabin vaccine was certainly a great step forward and continues to be recognized as such. But the perception would be much different if its introduction had been followed a decade later by some unforeseen side effect such as happened with thalidomide.
Similarly, the use of an antibiotic dip for chickens in the '50s was seen as a big step forward in the poultry industry but was later found to result in serious problems both in the chicken meat and in the health of workers. The process ended up being banned about a decade after being hailed as progress.
'Big Chicken': The Medical Mystery That Traced Back To Slaughterhouse Workers : The Salt : NPR
Best to wait awhile before making an assessment of the overall benefits vs. costs.