Science & Nature · 2
What was Jonas Salk's primary stated reason for declining to patent his polio vaccine?
Answer
To maximize global access and production of the vaccine
Salk believed the vaccine belonged to the public and wanted it produced and distributed as widely as possible, so he chose not to patent it despite the potential for enormous personal profit.
💡 Did you know?
The polio vaccine's creator Jonas Salk refused to patent it, potentially forgoing billions in royalties to maximize global access and production.
Other options people guess
- To secure exclusive manufacturing rights for the U.S. government
- To negotiate higher licensing fees from drug companies
- To fund a private research institute with the royalties
Topics
- vaccines
- polio
- medical-history
- public-health
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