What It's Like to Be In an Iron Lung

Developed during the 1920s, the iron lung was invented to help individuals with polio breathe after their torso and abdominal muscles ceased to work. Improvements to the iron lung were made throughout the 20th century, but the almost-obsolete hospital device still looks a lot like a machine used in interrogations or a cruel medical tool.
For many, the iron lung's lifesaving benefits were - and, for a few, still are - worth the trouble of living in a cylindrical breathing machine.
#MedicalHistory #IronLung #WeirdHistory

[@WeirdHistory]

How has technology saved your life?

[@YanilMiami305]

Can you do the Weird History of the infamous Chupacabra???

[@sigaries4062]

Epi-pens. Two or more bee stings, I'm a gonner.

[@WaiferThyme]

Last spring, I was diagnosed with Arterial Flutter and severe tachycardia. Medication did little to slow progression and i quickly got to the point my heart was - in the words of my dr- getting tired from being overworked. In July I was hospitalized and received a Cardioversion - a process where your heart is shocked to the point it stops for about 15 seconds then (ideally) starts again in a normal rhythm. My heart surgeon had to shock me 4 times. (apparently this is rare and was a first for her lol)

[@sigaries4062]

Kim Devonport Jeez...Well, still glad you pulled through!.

[@einwolfsrudel]

I lost my foot back in 1996. I shudder to think what life would be like trying to survive with a wooden peg leg with no padding or friction sleeve trying to walk on such a device. Not to mention having no medical support as in yesteryear's that was only available to the wealthy. I would probably be dead as my only means of locomotion would be with crutches (or crutch) and this would have worn me out in a decade easily.

[@scottlong5093]

My wife spent time in an iron lung as a child. This invention is just one of thousands I am grateful for.

[@basquehound1999]

Scott Long how long was she in it for?

[@scottlong5093]

@@basquehound1999 8 weeks

[@violet1010]

This is lovely. I'm glad your wife and you are healthy 😊💖

[@kai-vg5jp]

awe🥺💕

[@amathia1969]

Well its better that she is not dead (wait hold up that sounds bad) ok I mean that when she Had polio it wasn't that bad that she died (well I also don't to spend 8 weeks in the iron lung)

[@Ray-mw1fx]

I remember in Spongebob there was this thing called the iron butt.

[@hollowaychris77]

I remember that

[@zombienano9771]

I wish I had one

[@Bioniking]

It itcheeeees.

[@totallyfrozen]

Instant Kill Lunges. They give you Buns of Steel. The Original Buns of Steel: Intense Target Toning with Less Aerobics www.amazon.com/dp/B002G4ECB6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_QrIMDbQ7QWTFW

[@stanislausklim7794]

I was thinking about that going into the video

[@barbaralong1753]

I was a nurse in the late seventies and took care of patients who were confined to iron lungs and rocking beds. It was a very profound time that I spent with them and often stood in awe of the determination of these people. Thank you for posting this video.

[@tabby73]

What is a rocking bed?

[@barbaralong1753]

@@tabby73 they were actual beds that rocked back and forth, forcing the diaphram to make the lungs work for breathing. They never ever stopped. People even wrote books from their beds, using their mouths to hold a special pen to write.

[@tabby73]

@@barbaralong1753 Thanks! I imagine this as unbearable. I would be seasick all the time 😦 Brave people!

[@rainbowtheythemshe1115]

Gotta remember that back then it might have been, at least to those reliant on them, less intimidating because it was a hope of survival they didn't take for granted. If the alternative of asphyxiation is a solid option in your mind, a metal tube suddenly sounds like a much better idea. We're a bit spoiled these days, just blindly trusting science will save us and throw a fit when it ever so slightly inconveniences us.

[@desratlinda8639]

@@tabby73 Lol

[@FBIsecurityVAN]

"Shouldn't have been allowed a patent on something that could save human lives" If only.

[@jakefastf]

If it did than no one would make them as they can’t profit off them, your naive.

[@MichaelSHartman]

I can see both sides. Even the most altruistic inventor needs to recoup expenses, if for no other reason than to invent more. On the other hand I have seen greedy individuals / corporations, and their lawyers try to claim that all DNA belongs to them, and not us. No one can use the DNA because they have patented it. I view these people with disgust. The fact that courts supported these let me kill, and steal from everyone, so I can become rich mentalities is shameful. The idea that a greedy corporation has lawful say of your personal DNA ... leaves me speechless. 😬

[@DannyBeans]

See also Jonas Salk. The man could've been a billionaire, but instead gave the polio vaccine to the world.

[@FBIsecurityVAN]

@Violet Fields THATS THE JOKE DUMBASS! everyone here is a drooling downy i swear

[@makinthebacon7200]

jake foley not everyone wants profit if you look into it most just want to help also have you heard of “non profit”

[@d35p0]

Polio: *gets eradicated* Anti-vaxxers: I'm about to restart this man's whole career

[@Taikurii]

hilarious and original

[@jvccr7533]

best comeback story since kim kardashian

[@bjfifi]

😂😂😂

[@Wehra96]

@@xinyiwang7582 Herd immunity against polio doesn't work unless about 85% of the population is vaccinated and other diseases require up to 95% of the population to be immunized. Anyone who chooses to vaccinate their children help save other people who cannot be immunized for whatever reason.

[@LaZZ0SpAzzO]

fakenews

[@royriley6282]

Imagine being so desperate to go to hell that you sue in order to prevent the advance of medical technology and force patients to use inferior devices that profit you alone.

[@trashcanhands19]

Indeed, likewise many Big Pharma exec's might as well start acclimating their damned selves to the extreme heat or perhaps extreme cold (as many ppl believe who live in Siberia)

[@andy_182]

Roy Riley nothing wrong with that. Theyre just trying to make a profit for their company and shareholders!

[@dros2737]

Andy Bradford how is keeping people sick and poisoning them just to make money not wrong?

[@theweekendwarrior3504]

@@andy_182 You are the enemy of the people.

[@yeezuschrist420]

Andy Bradford dude fuck you

[@dianeashworth2311]

My late husband contracted polio when he was 13 years old. The paralysis began with his feet and moved up his legs and into his torso. They had an iron lung beside his bed as the paralysis moved closer to his chest. Fortunately it stopped at his stomach. This was before the Salk vaccine. The stories he told me were awful. He was in a ward and watched children who had died being rolled past his bed. It’s a long story but he recovered somewhat. He had terrible cramps in his calf muscles and back for the rest of his life. Also his bowels were very sluggish, causing constipation where he didn’t move them for a week. We had a kind of code between us about getting him relief. I’d ask him if he would like some prunes-I always kept a box of dried prunes in the pantry. I’d soak a half dozen or so in water and leave them on the counter. He also has three toes on each foot that never recovered. After a 20+ year career in the USAF, he lived until 2016 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

[@lincolnehret]

in 50 years: “What it was like to be in quarantine during the coronavirus outbreak”

[@PerseusR51]

Life in quarantine back in 2020? "We fucked the virus" -the Internet peoples

[@true.2652]

Obi-Wan Kenobi Show me the Force

[@true.2652]

Tenya Iida dude he has 44

[@scottd4373]

Hello there

[@nikobellic6025]

A decade later the Corona virus Returns

[@helterskelter4every1]

My aunt and uncle both had polio and they met while in college. They were two of the sweetest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. Both were wheelchair bound when they met and had been since early childhood when they were first diagnosed with the disease. That said, my aunt was far worse off than my uncle in terms of her illness. My uncle always had his own “push chair” that he loved doing “tricks” in- like curb hopping or wheelies. His legs never “grew in”, so he liked to lift weights in his early days to keep as much upper body strength as he could in order to take as much care of my aunt as possible. While my uncle was able to be more physically active, I never knew my aunt not to be in an electric wheelchair- not because she wanted to be in one, but because she didn’t have the muscle strength to push herself. I remember being a young kid and going down to visit them. My aunt had an iron lung that took up an entire room in her house. It sat in the dead center of the room and nothing else was in there. To me, it truly looked like a coffin, sometimes even a submarine. I never saw how it worked as a “lung” though. I mean, there were no tubes, no wires, I didn’t see oxygen anywhere. For me, at that age, it was a really odd looking machine (and it still is). I was never around for her bedtime (which was super early- like around 5-6 pm bc that’s when the nurses would leave for the day), so I would have to use my imagination to fill in the blanks about how the machine actually worked. Adults kind of suck at describing things to young kids, so it sounded like they were putting her into an oven every night. I was told that a long rack came out, they would lay her on it then slide her into this machine and leave her head out (just as this video describes). Okay, to a six year old, how does that NOT sound like an oven?? I think they even used the word “cook” at some point (as in “it cooks me up till morning”- what an evil thing to say to a 5 year old btw!). She was lucky enough to only have to sleep in it, but it really did look awful. The “bed” was metal and she had no blankets at night. She did have a very flat looking pillow, and mirrors like the video shows, but I remember thinking that I would have died from the boredom alone. Not only that, but the “bed” section was incredibly narrow looking (as in, even for an “average” sized human, it looked like your body would spill over the sides). She probably spent half of her life sleeping in that torture chamber before they finally created a device that pumped air directly into her lungs via a tube in her neck. Sadly, she passed away as a result of that tube. It came out in the middle of the night. It did that on occasion and alarms would sound. This particular night her husband couldn’t get to her in time bc he fell out of his wheelchair trying to get out of bed. In over 50 years of marriage, they never once spent a single night in the same bed. In fact, I’m pretty sure they couldn’t even consummate their marriage. He died shortly thereafter. If you believe in things like “true love”, “dying from a broken heart”, and one person not being able to live without the other, it would certainly be their story. I vaguely remember leaving their house as a child feeling grateful that I was healthy, but I wish my parents had used that time as a teaching tool to go over that type of gratitude. Health truly is the most precious gift we have on the planet and that’s such an easy thing to take for granted- till you no longer have it. Anyways, this video was really well done, and very spot on to my own familial experiences.

[@Ottocide]

Thank you for sharing your story. It made me tear up a little.

[@baeo.wolffe5179]

Yes thank you for sharing that. We all need to be reminded how good we have it, and how easily it can change.

[@jodihedge8566]

LivingDeadGirl Wow! Thank you so much for sharing this story. It was well written & emotionally captivating. They sound like incredible people. I am sure they enjoyed your visits more then you will ever know!

[@helterskelter4every1]

Thank you all for your comments! They were both amazing and I miss them greatly! Every time I think about the way she passed it certainly is difficult, their story is so unique and rare it is one worth sharing and I am truly touched. Much love to you all ♥️♥️♥️🤗🤗🤗

[@karichiewilson]

@@helterskelter4every1 Have you ever thought about writing their incredible story in book form? It's very touching, & you're obviously a gifted writer. Thank you for sharing them with us!

[@pizzahuthonoka]

AntiVax: *Sees iron lung, looks at daughter.* _”A small price to pay for autism salvation.”_

[@RyanThModder]

Oliver Cairn lmao cheeel

[@eleos5]

I know a few, and they will allow vaccinations for things like this if it's a threat.

[@hugocorreia7519]

@I boop ur nose I wouldn't be one if you get vaccinated

[@KsPRNightrmare]

Love Live

[@PridelessChickz]

I'm autistic. Even though I don't believe vaccines cause autism, I can kind of understand the paranoia. Autism for me, is pure torture. Constant pain, confusion, depression, the feeling of impending doom, going nearly deaf during and after meltdowns... It's hell. Even right now, I'm currently going through an autistic shutdown which has me basically paralyzed. I feel rooted in place and moving is near impossible. I've been sitting here for three hours waiting for my strength to return. It fucking sucks. It's nice that some (crazy) parents are trying to prevent that for their kids, but I'm 99% sure they're just putting their children, and other people, in serious danger. It's ridiculous.

[@thatrat8628]

It’s weird how In school I would not pay attention when my teacher played these vids and now I can’t stop watching

[@seecanon5840]

In 1956 my sister contracted polio. She was in a lung for several months. When she got out her left leg and arm were weak but therapy helped. She died in 2018. She lived because of this contraption. I got the sugar cube on Monday and they had more Friday. A ambulance took her Sunday morning. 4 days and she got polio.

[@d3aspriggsy617]

That Paul guy has been in there for years and he doesn’t even get a pillow he gets a towel

[@CrimsonRaven51]

Being claustrophobic, the iron lung is a nightmare. I was born in 1951 in Chicago and the threat of polio to us kids, 5 and 6 year olds was very real and scary. All kinds of old wives tales were out on how to avoid catching it, like avoid the beach. When the vaccine came out it was a series of 3 painful shots. Kids by the hundreds were lined up at a park field house where they were administered. Then booster shots at school, then in sugar cubes. Thankfully none of us contracted the disease. But I’ve had to travel to countries where to this day they suffer polio and leprosy!

[@teambeining]

rpsimons58 IKR?!? I would not be able to do that unless my arms were OUT.

[@AKayfabe]

By the time I was vaccinated it was one sugar cube handed to me by a Dr. a series of painful shots, yikes! I guess that nicer than getting Polio though. I knew a man who had polio and his left arm never developed. It stayed small the rest of his body grew normally. He was my best friend until he died of unrelated cancer later on.

[@khadizaahmed8989]

Wait yall got sugar cubes?

[@AKayfabe]

Khadiza Ahmed I did yes. When I started school, the same day I got a MMR shit

[@kewl851]

@@teambeining that's a really good point about the arms. I wonder if someone is working on a way to be able to make that happen w the iron lung. muscle atrophy is what I would be scared of the most if my mother ever had to use it bc of her Primary Progressive MS. Her type of MS never goes into remission so she might not be able to breathe freely one day.

[@fyprie6767]

Imagine having an itch at night while nobody’s near..

[@foty8679]

And you cant beat your meat, for years

[@yuriice6271]

@@foty8679 Idk about you but not nutting for years would make you feel godly

[@annabellavetra]

The hands are inside

[@HazzerJazzer1]

@@annabellavetra yeah but what if the itch is on the face

[@foty8679]

@@annabellavetra If they are not paralyzed. I dont really know what part gets paralyzed with polio

[@samuelvozar1937]

In eastern eurep we didn't have iron lungs, we simply died

[@chunchun7493]

Ha

[@samuelvozar1937]

What do you mean ha, it's a tragedy

[@Nukes_Music]

Oof

[@NationalismDjazair]

Ha

[@mcalladin5314]

Eurep

[@iseetheWAYVision]

That one guy: In a machine that helps the lungs breathe Also that one guy: Smokes a cigarette

[@someguyudontknow6038]

Ahhh yes its small brain time

[@a7_blockeyblue529]

Taamz Heart that would be my grandma with her breathing thingy in her nose while smoking a cig

[@Woody-ub7jv]

Back then it was believed that smoking had positive benefits on your breathing and lungs so that’s why

[@a7_blockeyblue529]

Woody nah she knows she just doesn’t care 😂😂

[@davidpurina3821]

I'd be doing ANYTHING i could to shorten my life. What a nightmare

[@issuesexplained681]

I was honestly kinda terrified of the thought of being in on of these things as a kid. I guess we’ll see if I was right.

[@evilubuntu9001]

Polio just came back just now so maybe you will find out first hand.

[@evilubuntu9001]

@Charlie Alleman Double tap the zombies is how I will deal with the Polio apocalypse.

[@loganmacgyver2625]

@@evilubuntu9001 if you live in a country vith vaccines and your mom's name isn't karen you are likely safe

[@evilubuntu9001]

@@loganmacgyver2625 Karen? OMG My mom Karen is in her polio lab right now messing with the polio virus! If you see a crazy cat lady offering free "lemonade" samples, just run. Trust me...😱

[@loganmacgyver2625]

@@evilubuntu9001 the stereotype is that all mothers named Karen are antivaxxers

[@Mikemfm666]

WAS THAT A NURSE HELPING SOMEONE SMOKE A CIGARETTE IN AN IRON LUNG?!?? 🤯

[@formallyknownasj.a.2074]

Funny, I said the same thing. Had to go back and do a double take because I didn’t believe it the first time. “Is that... is that a nurse helping a guy smoke? Holy s**t it is!”

[@debbiericker8223]

@ 6:58 Yep.

[@spidermiss2426]

in the fifties smoking was marketed as something healthy to do.

[@deleted_account3]

Ikr

[@makeawishkid8039]

@@spidermiss2426 my great-grandpa was prescribed 3 cigars and a finger of whiskey a day to treat his asthma

[@614BlueBerry]

You forgot to mention theres only a handful of people who can actually repair them too.

[@debrakleid5752]

Not even and getting the parts can be an issue

[@SamuelSamuelSamuel1]

Kids: catch polio Moms: it’s that damn circle and stick game

[@q3rtws]

Gray Golurk #&#\£

[@VivekYadav-ds8oz]

_"It's that damn circle and stick game"_ That's a weird way to describe sex.

[@harrison8639]

Vivek Yadav wtf lmao

[@bleflar9183]

@@radekskreczko Dude, read a comment more carefully before you get triggered. He said that there are women today that are stupid. Not that all women are stupid.

[@macaroon_nuggets8008]

And dads! Do not forget dads can be dumb too

[@cfrygirl]

This needs to be shown to anti vac people

[@mikekazz5353]

It's sad that the Darwin awards works as a filter for the gene pool, but hey that's life.

[@nerfninja661]

I only bang antivaxxers cuz 8 years of child support is better than 18 yes i stole this no it wont get old just like the kid

[@DenitaArnold]

My thoughts exactly.

[@scarletfluerr]

Jan loves many Spoken like a true ignoramus.

[@frickinfrick8488]

Mike Kazz but anti vaxxers don’t harm themselves, they harm their children. They’re just killing innocent children who had no say in the decision, plus ruining herd immunity and harming immunocompromised people. They hurt everyone but themselves.

[@kaylaisnothere4397]

Just looking at those things gives me severe anxiety. Even if it would be ok, I would probably die of a heart attack.

[@steel8231]

The attorney you mentioned actually had to reach out with a plea to anyone who could help when he couldn't get any replacement parts for his iron lung, and a custom fabrication shop ended up reinventing the iron lung off of old pictures because the original schematics were either lost or stored somewhere no one could access effectively making the device Lostech.

[@raverfox420]

Beautiful Battletech refrence

[@jeffthevomitguy1178]

I was born with glass bones and paper skin. Every morning I break my legs, and every afternoon I break my arms. At night, I lie awake in agony until my heart attacks put me to sleep.

[@MarloSoBalJr]

Would you like some chocolate?

[@KoltiraMemeweaver]

cHoooOOOooOooooOcOlAte!!!!!!

[@titanusgojira9945]

14 year old girls be like

[@simpsonsguy2800]

Good ol Spongbob

[@sory4beinanonymous]

RIP my childhood

[@floopygoober5003]

this gonna be everyone who smokes fake carts in 30 years

[@EnzoFoove]

Jesus Christ I read cake farts

[@DrMantisTobboganMD]

Enzo Veiga congratulations you are dyslexic

[@PridelessChickz]

@@DrMantisTobboganMD exactly what I was about to say 😂

[@CrestedSaguaro520]

69 likes... I don't wanna ruin it. 🤣

[@pooch9068]

Lmao true af

[@coltonlusk6641]

Imagine your lawyer being in the iron lung lmao while he's with you on trial

[@miltoncantarero]

I'll support him more than he supports me

[@hobochic4me]

I’ll be pushing him around the courtroom to get his point across..🙃

[@aiden6354]

@@hobochic4me jesus

[@emelyvasquez6842]

AlL Blogs 😐 wow hilarious.

[@Punaniidasanii]

@@hobochic4me I’m WEAK💀💀💀💀

[@c.mckenzie2155]

My mother was in an iron lung around 1924. She had polio and ended up with one leg shorter than the other. She could never go without shoes that had a lift on one side and she always had to buy 2 pairs of shoes b/c the affected foot was littler. She married, had 5 kids and was an artist and owned her own business.. She showed them...

[@c.mckenzie2155]

@S P A small leg defect? She had 2 different sized feet in length and width. It was impossible for her to run. Having a family and 5 kids is tough but doing it when there were no washing machines or dryers, no dishwasher, no pick up meals. It was not a small defect, it affected her entire skeletal system...

[@c.mckenzie2155]

@S P Thanks for cancelling my mother's tragedy that could be fixed with orthotic shoes. You should read up about Polio a bit. It attacks your whole body, her heart was damaged. She died of CHF.

[@loyiekender5166]

Creed: “I was in an iron lung” Michael: “W-what? How old are you?”

[@darth_fister9997]

I love the office, nice refference

[@charcoop2637]

Yeah nice 👍

[@thugsnstuff4046]

Loyie Kender kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHzUiWlpp6-efq8

[@clownfrownytgaming2974]

Nice reference

[@wolfpackproductions7270]

I was in an iron lung. Best 3 months of my life

[@triciareed1576]

In an Iron Lung for breathing issues and the nurse holds a cigarette to your lips. Classic !

[@STOCKTONHEMINCUMMINS]

I seen that.smfh

[@spongebob6186]

Well if anyone has ever truly earned a cigarette, it's probably the person who has been paralysed by polio.

[@tidepods5506]

@@STOCKTONHEMINCUMMINS fuck you

[@shiroyasha4995]

@@tidepods5506 and here we got ourselves a fighter.....

[@loganmacgyver2625]

it was taken in the 1950's im assuming when everyobody and their pets were smoking

[@wolfpackproductions7270]

“I was in an iron lung when I was a teenager” -Me, Creed Bratton Edit: My original profile was creed bratton from the office if you were confused about this comment

[@nathanbell8356]

Epic

[@charagamer3375]

I’d be scared AF

[@spiritoflegend7483]

I liked ur joker costume creed

[@the_egg_]

Neat

[@austinholt8987]

Creed, you good, man?

[@dianeb9449]

I remember in the early sixties seeing a boy in an iron lung, at a school play, in the audience. I was amazed that his family was able to get the iron lung into the auditorium, but I also very happy he would be able to see his sibling in the play.

[@Pilot-X]

I’d rather die than be kept alive for life by that but I can understand a parent not being able to let go of their young child to death so easily. Very sad disease.

[@adammoore7059]

I perfectly agree with you

[@austinfoley1733]

Yeah pull the plug def

[@mortechrome]

I agree with that. A few weeks, ok. I´ve been hospitalized for that long before-no big deal. But a lifetime? Not for me. It seriously gives me panic to think of a life confined in an iron lung-I feel an admiration for those who actually managed (and somehow thrived) though. I am in no way saying their lives were not worthwhile-just that I personally feel I wouldn´t cope with it. It´s a deeply existential question in the end. But on the other hand I never thought I could deal with living with the certain restricitions of a replacement joint at my age either-and now I do. We seldom know until we are faced with a certain situation exactly how we would react when given no other choice.

[@mistylover2082]

@@mortechrome isn't being in this thing kinda like being darth vader in his annoying suit that keeps beeping as he sleeps or itchy fake skin?

[@mortechrome]

Misty Lover I would go mad not being able to scratch my nose and wherever-definitely.

[@laurice8056]

I’ve been a Respiratory Therapist for over 25 years, and of course I learned about the iron lung and how it works. But this is the first time I’ve ever heard about it from the patient’s perspective and what their lives were like while using the iron lung. Great video! Thanks for sharing!

[@ahyes6140]

Matt Richards at least he is doing something with his life unlike the gremlin that wrote this reply

[@laurice8056]

Jenny Houle + Thanks Jenny. I hope that Matt Richards is aware that compression only CPR can be used by Anyone to save victims of cardiac emergencies. And the Heimlich maneuver is the “life saving “hug” that Anyone can give to choking victims too!

[@trashvideoboi1220]

Grandpa: you kids rely to much on technology Me: *unplugs his iron lung*

[@piecrush1284]

Well this is a cursed comment if I’ve ever seen one

[@samurailobster6561]

@@piecrush1284 this isn’t cursed, this is honestly pretty tame for the internet.

[@haka-katyt7439]

@@piecrush1284 UwU daddy you haven't seen nothin yet OwO harder

[@piecrush1284]

@@haka-katyt7439 go to church

[@bizarreutahraptor]

@@piecrush1284 Prayers won't save him now, it's just better to put him out of his misery

[@HunterPhenomMakoy]

My grandfather was in an ion lung in ‘53 for several months. My grandmother would pay people to sit with him when she wasn’t available because when they serviced the machines they had to shut them down, and with how hectic everything was they didn’t always remember to get them closed up and up and running again. That and the stories of the power going out and all the nurses having to hand operate the iron lungs to keep all them alive.

[@kewl851]

unreal. im glad I saw this comment, its good to know what really could happen. I never thought of that. thank you so much for posting this comment, Hunter.

[@K113-A]

This is a piece of history I'd like to be kept in a museum, not at homes Vaccinate your kids ! Make sure polio is no more!

[@jas6246]

Kresna 113 I believe that polio has been eradicated for some time now. But I’m not sure. Even if it has been eradicated we should still vaccinate for our safety and the safety of those around us. 🙂

[@K113-A]

@@jas6246 Yes, I think since the 70s it was deemed eradicated. However I recently read that a case of polio started to appear today. I don't want it to come back

[@jas6246]

Kresna 113 oh I didn’t know that. Thanks! That would be a nightmare if it came back.

[@aussie_rosie_longleg_lisa6886]

No thanks I’m scared of needles

[@kirbstomped361]

Kresna 113 ok

[@moron4548]

Kat Von D’s son in 60 years

[@yourlocalcheetodustdealer1216]

Holl Cadman wait? for reals?

[@yourlocalcheetodustdealer1216]

Holl Cadman Big HMMMMMMMM, if she did that, good for her

[@papayapeaks1693]

@@deatheducationdaily5830 wow good for her. I hope the other anti vax people open their eyes like her.

[@Cheezus]

pretty optimistic there

[@moron4548]

lovelyjason4ever100 As it should be, good thing hot girl summa is my favirote

[@nebulapig]

I can't imagine not being able to scratch my nose, locked in a tube. Thank goodness for Vaccinations!

[@Spergy]

My 3 children would disagree Edit:2 children Edit: 1 children Edit: No children :(

[@nebulapig]

@@Spergy I love these selfish parents who won't try to protect their children from these mostly preventable diseases. 99 percent of the time the parents were vaccinated themselves as children.

[@Spergy]

@@nebulapig I know like how stupid are you

[@nebulapig]

​@@Spergy This comment has been removed because nebulapig didn't take time to properly read the last comment.....LOL

[@Spergy]

nebulapig I can’t tell if your saying that im stupid which I am but I am pro vaccine

[@gillianclarkegonzales9919]

Just In; Mr. Paul Alexander has Already Passed Away Today 031224. My Deepest Condolences to the Berieved Family. Thank you for Sharing your Wonderful Life to Us. Your Story Will Never be Forgotten Sir! Salute.... From Philippines 🇵🇭

[@peachy9562]

Looks like the machine in the Sims 4 where sims give birth lmao

[@thugsnstuff4046]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHzUiWlpp6-efq8

[@curbsideslav_1299]

Thugs n stuff ?

[@johannajones4560]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@NewMessage]

It's all fine until your nose itches... then, there's no ring of Hell that could remotely compare.

[@yachtyteam6978]

I think you’ve created a lot of people worst nightmares

[@chublub4982]

Dalton Lang ur arms are in the machine

[@cyber_dragon_123]

@@chublub4982 Your arms are paralysed.

[@aseheavyindustries798]

"hey nurse, can you scratch my nose?"

[@mistylover2082]

@@jrickducking6685 or lick it? 😏😁😀

[@Lia-rb9rh]

When my grandma was little, she was at school. Her brother wasn’t feeling well, and had to go in an ambulance to the hospital. She wanted attention, so she pretended to feel sick and went to the hospital. They found she had polio, but was in a stage where she couldn’t notice anything different. Her brother’s legs were never able to move after that, but she was lucky. Sometimes, I can’t help but wonder what would’ve happened if she hadn’t claimed to be sick. Would I be alive now?

[@scribblecloud]

thats crazy lesson learned, always make excuses to skip school/j

[@gb6710]

My great grandmother contracted polio when she was a child in the 20s. Thankfully she made a full recovery and was left with only a slight limp.

[@barrywerdell2614]

I had an eighth grade Algebra teacher named Mr. Gipe. His wife was in an iron lung and he always looked so tired and worried. Also there was that rather crude joke about saving up enough Raleigh Cigarette coupons for a free iron lung. Thanks for the video.

[@dstuds5389]

Imagine that someone is robbing your house and the robber sees you in a metal tin can, makes *eye contact* , and then carries on

[@darkadia6520]

lol

[@MarloSoBalJr]

Robber: Should I kill you or are you already half there? Homeowner: **Heavy breath** sigh!

[@crochetwithmouse8160]

My dad got Polio when he was 2 1/2. He had an Iron Lung until about 1992 or so. Me and my sister grew up with him having to use it in emergencies when his chest respirator would break down. The doctors said he wouldn't live past the age of 16 but he lived to be 67. He just passed away June 8 of 2019. He taught me and my sister there isn't anything you can't do if you put your mind to it. He had the use of one arm/hand but man he could ride a Harley with a side car. :-)

[@wshelby83]

Your father was a strong man. Of course, I've always heard about polio but I didn't know the extent of it and the damages it caused to many individuals.

[@Ascariedeus]

Karen: "It causes autism"

[@cerving20]

It's true, you don't have a high chance of having autism if you're dead.

[@kaianderson1259]

Connor Erving nice i found the cure for autism now!

[@indrocringe5576]

Even if that were true, I’d prefer autism over living in one of these

[@frutiguro]

Imagine thinking autism is worse than paralysis

[@sparkz6349]

@@cerving20 h

[@loganmacgyver2625]

anyone finding it hard to breathe while watching this

[@Derp12]

No lmao

[@inojusi6545]

Yeah, i am

[@positive2772]

Same

[@wavvy6654]

I was fine till I read this comment

[@joestock732]

You all might need to be admitted to the hospital.

[@3939michele]

My mother worked with iron lung patients while she was in college in the late 40s. She said her mom was always terrified that my mom would contract the disease.

[@wshelby83]

How did the nurses work with those patients and not contract the disease?

[@gr3ygh0ul]

vaccinate your kids, kids. this is very unoriginal, i'm sorry.

[@jasonodoniel6434]

I don't do them and you need to respect that

[@gr3ygh0ul]

@@jasonodoniel6434 i can't respect the decisions of someone who's username is "BIG CHUNGUS", sorry

[@jasonodoniel6434]

@@gr3ygh0ul dose it matter what my username is NO. the fact is I don't want to vaccinate cause it's stupid and pointless to me and it dose more harm then good ether respect that or don't IDC your stupid choice

[@gr3ygh0ul]

@@jasonodoniel6434 it dose matter tho...

[@domagojzovko9278]

@@jasonodoniel6434 says respect my choice and then calls other opinions stupid

[@atheonsspec2151]

Kids at a swim pool who weren't vaccinated, Marco polio

[@prestonmorris1399]

Ghostix X lmao

[@Rakesssh]

You know, I was having a really bad day. Not as bad as these people but still bad. And you made it better. Thank you for making me laugh.

[@finnthewastebin4678]

Ghostix X I say this when I play this game.

[@rottinghamburger]

I'm going to hell for laughing at this,ain't I?

[@corleone7398]

*n o*

[@BIendtecc]

I guess it’s safe to say “i am Iron man”

[@basquehound1999]

Scott M good one

[@freddieboi4818]

It’s 2:30 am. I have an online math test tomorrow. I could study but watching a video on iron lungs is more entertaining

[@marshaaoolie8474]

Our next door neighbor was in an iron lung in the 1960s. He was a nice person and his parents took care of him. He died after several years. The iron lung was huge!

[@alexwohlgemuth4099]

My grandma contracted polio when she was 7 and was in an iron lung until she was 14. She has regained much of her motion, other than in her left leg. She is currently experiencing post-polio syndrome, and it can be debilitating. She is very lucky to be alive, but still suffers. Vaccinate your children, please.

[@mshell6489]

My mom works at a hospital where she had the privilege to meet one of the last people still alive today in an iron lung.

[@SlamifiedBuddafied]

One of our neighbors from the home in which I grew up had polio. He was somewhat mobile, but required a cane to get around. He died about three or four years ago, I believe he was 86 when he died. Due to the polio he had when much younger however he became confined to a wheelchair by the time I was in my teens. I remember asking him once what it was like to have polio and I'll never forget his response. "It fucking blows, man."

[@DraphEnjoyer]

“What it’s like to be in an iron lung” “LETS PLAY RAID SHADOW LEGENDS”

[@twinkelz77]

MrZurata LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@oo-cd9rf]

Dollar shave club ad here #dollarshaveclub

[@mwbgaming28]

PULL THE PLUG!!!

[@assassinproject5586]

Sponsored by raid: shadow legends

[@asdfghjkl9706]

SQUARESPACE

[@Sad_Crys]

WHAT WAS SCHOOL LIKE 200 YEARS AGO

[@JHorse508]

There was no Fortnite.

[@mrbye3966]

@@JHorse508 shut the fuck up

[@mnrsteeljoutafel]

mrbye chill your tits

[@mrbye3966]

@@mnrsteeljoutafel oh sorry I meant to say fortnite bad minecraft good my bad.

[@WaiferThyme]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqaVmWuOpsaVmJY

[@rufousdederp]

My 2nd cousin had polio. Her parents were the equivalent of anti-vaxxers in their day and decided not to get their first born the vaccine. She got polio.... her siblings born after her were vaccinated. She lived a long life but I know she wasn't comfortable :(

[@xeiumi]

She was so strong.

[@jgunderson105]

While some vaccines are important. Many believed that polio was actually dying out when the vaccine came out. It would fairly understandable if they knew there were a good million doses of the polio vaccine that were bad. They were warned by health officials about the batches being bad. Dr Ochsner. from Tulane University, let his ego take control instead of heeding the warnings, He vaccinated two of his grandchildren, one got the polio, and the other died from the vaccine. It is actually a fascinating story. Dr Haslam, Mary's Monkey's, Lee & Me. True story. I find rather ironic that the very state which put up the most fight about the vaccines, was California, and yet Feb 14, 2019 Adam Schiff, (from California) sent a letter to social media, requesting no disinformation about vaccines on their platforms. So much of these new vaccines are tied to big tech companies. You have to research it. Biotech, Biogenetics. Google any of what I posted.

[@thehalfbee9767]

My great grandmother contracted polio and her hand was paralyzed but she still raised 7 kids and lived to be 106 outliving her husband and two of her children

[@GarfiekdKartGo]

That’s one way to win no nut November

[@brandondonnelly7458]

Garfield Kart Go thought the same thing.

[@jacobstewart1365]

Get this man an award

[@bvelasco0516]

🤯🤬التنزرمازنننورردذطبخوزتنزذاااازاامكنترز😈

[@luu0w0]

Bruh

[@GewelReal]

But it's a giant S U C C machine

[@seff6533]

Now it's time to find out what the iron butt is like

[@tommy_jay]

It itches

[@adammoore7059]

Your butt stinks

[@adammoore7059]

@@tommy_jay it stinks your butt does

[@cryofever]

Yah cause that's funny.

[@hughjainice8094]

CryOfever shut up

[@jeffmonroe9766]

As a child of nine with polio I spent two weeks in one . Quarantine in San Bernadino Ca was terrible no air conditioning, TV or radio. Lost the summer of 59. Thank God I wasn't permanently disfigured and made remarkable recovery. Thanks to many doctors,nurses and physical therapist.

[@BroadwayRonMexico]

Paul Alexander is one of the men I admire most. His story is really something else if you get the chance to read/hear it. You'd be hard-pressed to find a man with more drive than he's had in his life, and in spite of the rough hand he was dealt, he still has optimism and thanks God for every day.

[@deneenmerrifield4158]

Y’all remember that episode in spongebob where he laughed so hard he had to be in that laughing machine

[@CinnapopisGay]

Deneen Merrifield I had absolutely no idea what an iron lung was before I clicked on this and went into this thinking about that from Spongebob 😅

[@taz200032]

Or the iron butt lol

[@imposter8055]

LMAO YEAH

[@GerardWay4President]

I still don’t understand how anyone could go to the bathroom in one of those. It’s also claustrophobic. In any case, I think I’d rather die than be stuck in one of those.

[@derekh8964]

GerardWay4President you wouldn’t know until you are in that situation the human spirit has a strong will to live.

[@yeehaw4775]

@@derekh8964 lol how sure are you about that buddy ✊

[@evanhenderson9461]

I think I'd just learn as much as I could and would write books to advocate to make everyone else's lives better. Probably would die Young cause I'd be bored but at least I would have done something. Who knows! 🤷🏻

[@lokicooper4690]

It said in the video that they needed help to go to the bathroom. I presume they were taken out and a pan put under them. Plus, there are catheters for urine.

[@ferociousgumby]

Yes, no matter how hard they try to make this look "good", I'm not buying it. This must be funded by the Iron Lung Association of America. It still looks like a horrible prison I'd rather die than be trapped in. There is NO WAY you can go to dinner parties, college, with your head sticking out of a churning nine-foot tube. Ridiculous.

[@deeliciousgrapes]

That is so scary. We don't realize how blessed we are

[@jd_kreeper2799]

"You have to swallow in rhythm with the machine" Why not just stop it for 3 seconds so he can swallow?

[@analogcity8827]

Ok lets shut down the ancient machine just to take a bite and then try to turn it back on considering the age of the machine there is no guarantee that it would turn back on

[@kriaz9916]

R/wooosh

[@mint5438]

@@kriaz9916 please don't reference reddit links outside of reddit. Its not funny

[@Marek_J]

Minty nah, I think reddit links are good elsewhere

[@chilliecheesecake]

Because you touch yourself at night

[@maesaliva]

“Our world’s most precious creatures, the common house cat.”

[@bcfcbluenose8812]

Dog

[@henkieeenbeen2317]

What about children wait no CAT’S are better

[@maesaliva]

no Umm what? If you’re talking about my profile, this is old and I made it to attempt Gacha editing. I usually draw. Please go away if you only see me as a gay gachatuber.

[@maesaliva]

bcfc bluenose n o

[@maesaliva]

Henkie Eenbeen Agreed.

[@AKayfabe]

I have severe respiratory disease myself, and I would think having a machine breath for me would be frightening to me. However, I could understand the feeling of finally being able to breath and not be lacking Oxygen is relief and comfort at being tightly surrounded. There’s an iron lung still sitting in the respiratory history section of the hospital where I see my Dr. so everyone is able to look at it and see what it’s like. I can see how nowadays with internet and smart devices iron lung use if still used would at least not require people to help turn pages etc I’m glad they made new devices to replace such a large piece of equipment

[@nightmarescarpaladin1557]

Being a light breather and having asthma I can barely imagine dealing with that, I think I'd just be happy to breathe

[@vi0let831]

Same, it's hell not being able to breathe properly most of the time. I have moderate to severe asthma and my asthma attacks are pretty frequent

[@ashleythurston7262]

I met Peg Kehret when I was 9 or 10 and the way she talked about her experience with polio has stuck with me since then, about 15 years now. Thank science for vaccines.

[@aa-tx7th]

It is incredible how adaptable hummanity is. Most of us literally have no excuses for anything ever.

[@miriambucholtz9315]

My mother was scared to death of polio. In 1954, I was one of the schoolchildren who tested the Salk vaccine because I hated to see my mother so frightened. I wanted to fight back, and I did.

[@jcortese3300]

That's something to be proud of -- weren't you called Polio Pioneers?

[@miriambucholtz9315]

@@jcortese3300 Yes, we were. I still have my card and my pin that we were each given.

[@jcortese3300]

@@miriambucholtz9315 Thanks for your participation, from someone who never had to fear polio in myself or my brothers. :-)

[@Cynderfan35]

what is it like back in 50's, be volunteer for vaccines? i really hope you never caught polio. also raising hat for you desiring help your mother not be afraid of you getting it.

[@asmr_nirvananina4202]

My older cousin got polio and it crippled him. He was a normal child before that. He was in a wheelchair his entire life. Died at around the age of 60 and was extremely smart. He was a sweet guy

[@lizdyson3627]

This is an excellent moving and very sensitively done episode.

[@marybethsimpkins1494]

“Breath” is pronounced like taking a breath of air. The action to breathe has an e

[@donniepierce2293]

@@maximusareilius2262 lol the fuck

[@titanusgojira9945]

I’ve been scarred for life

[@asdfghjkl9706]

I saw it and I shook and rumbled But it's f i n e

[@mixy6146]

Pronounce it like this. Breath (The air taken into or expelled from the lungs): Br-e-th Breathe (transitive verb. 1 : to inhale and exhale.): Br-ee-th

[@jamilajohnson7460]

Stfu and watch the fricking video.

[@helloits_morgan]

“You’re gonna be wearin’ an iron lung when I’m through with you, Pinhead!”

[@menacingthinker4322]

@Dick Faggotson Wich one of you is Dirty Dan?

[@sticks4632]

@@menacingthinker4322 im diry dan

[@ajsmith319]

@@sticks4632 no I'm dirty dan

[@Flower-bu9my]

@@ajsmith319 no, IM dirty dan!

[@reneeproud5273]

@@Flower-bu9my *IM DIRTY DAN*

[@8lueeyes911]

My mum had to go into one of these when she was a child. She over heard the dr say to nurses not to worry to much about this one because she's not going to make it. Hearing that saved my Mums life she was not going to just lay there and die. She got a second wind and proved the drs wrong beating polio without permit damage at all. I don't know many more details than that it wasn't something she was fond of talking about. R.I.P Mum your fight to live and never give up were truly amazing. Her last battle she was told that she only had about 6 months left she fought hard for 5 years till breast cancer got my hero.

[@5809AUJG]

When it was time to get immunizations when I was a kid, I told my mother I didn't want them, that they'd hurt. My mom replied that I could then get ready to spend my life in an iron lung. I decided at that moment that I couldn't get my immunizations fast enough.

[@itzwick6933]

When you’re baked and watch an 11 minute documentary about polio

[@izftpvp822]

Roses are red Violets are blue It don't always be like that But sometimes it do

[@J_larry]

I should be practicing my instrument, but here I am

[@AZ-kr6ff]

"Is this your homework, Larry? Is this your homework, Larry?"

[@Plantfreak_]

The big lebowski reference

[@AZ-kr6ff]

@@Plantfreak_ Yup. Larry's father was in the iron lung, remember? Walter kept trying to talk to him because he was a famous writer. "And a good day to you, sir!" Haha

[@MoparGuy1625]

Lean like a Cholo this is what you get when you fuck a stranger in the ass!!!!

[@AZ-kr6ff]

@@MoparGuy1625 Haha! "Ma'am, does he still write?" "Nooo...he has health problems."

[@fuckoffhackers8619]

Far out man, the dude abides.

[@vinegart3211]

It’s so nice how a lot of the people in the lung are so happy

[@americanbritton9827]

As a Respiratory Therapist in 2020 this was quite interesting. Ive never seen an Iron Lung in my entire career and wasnt taught about them as well. There are no questions about it on the medical boards testing.

[@mattkisko]

"They tested it on the world's most precious creators......the common house cat". So true

[@joermnyc]

I’m surprised they were able to get the cat in there. “Okay kitty, get in the box.” RRRROOOWRR! “Okay, let me get a box of band aids and some chain mail.”

[@kyanoang3l0_old]

We just had an outbreak of polio here in the PH after 19 years of being polio-free. Friends and relatives blame the Dengvaxia controversy for making parents afraid of vaccines, but WHO said the number of polio immunizations had already been declining before the controversy.

[@ania8451]

PH?

[@RyosukeTakahashiRX7]

@@ania8451 Philippines

[@deadbrav]

@@RyosukeTakahashiRX7 Pineapples

[@makeminefreedom]

It's great that someone cared enough to create this device.

[@leejenkinson5521]

Rest In Peace Paul, Earlier this week Paul Alexander, "The Man in the Iron Lung," passed away on March 11th, 2024. Despite battling polio in his youth, he spent over 70 years confined to an iron lung. Throughout his lifetime, Paul pursued many years in education, became a lawyer, and even was a successful published author. His remarkable journey touched countless lives worldwide, serving as a true inspiration to so many. Paul's legacy as an extraordinary role model is sure to endure in the memories of many. Take Care Paul, you are at peace now. Ljay 🙌🙌🙌

[@jameshorn270]

My father got polio in 1954, the year before the Salk vaccine was approved. There were some other devices associated with the disease. For instance, an intermediated device, used when learning to breathe without the iron lung was the rocking bed. It basically turned you head up so your diaprhagm lowered to breathe in, then rocked the other direction, feet up, so the diaphragm was now falling onto your lungs to force air out. eventually, you would no longer need it as you got stronger and you learned t us your rib muscles to help expand and contract the lungs. Ultimately, when Post Polio Syndrome came for him, hew was back to using the bed at night for several weeks until he had total respiratory failure.

[@Alexden96Channel]

I always thought being in an iron lung would be painful. I thought polio tenses up the muscles to the point of immobility, thus forcing the diaphragm to relax would hurt. Looking it up, I didn't even realize it usually isn't permanent! I am now educated and relieved.

[@fionnamorrison3408]

Since seeing this, i think of this every time im in agony. My inspiration to keep going and be grateful. My heart goes out to this man 💓

[@billgrandone3552]

My father was a country doctor and he had a young patient in the early 1950's who was in a St. Louis hospital suffering from polio and in an iron lung. He took me with him to visit the boy. I could not go in the room where they had two rows of iron lungs with about 8 or 10 young patients in them. But they let me peek through a small window to see them. It was horrific to a kid of six and at 72 I can still see those kids in my mind.

[@chrisj197438]

There is still around a dozen people depending on these today

[@williammussetter283]

In Keokuk, Iowa in early September of 1952 (I was almost 7), I wasn't feeling well. After about a week, I went to bed feeling worse and having trouble moving my left arm. Early the next morning, I awoke running a high fever while struggling to breathe and unable to move my left side, including my diaphragm. My mother rushed me to the hospital where I was diagnosed with polio. I was put on an ancient portable breathing device and taken by ambulance to University Hospital in Iowa City. While my left side was paralyzed, my right side still functioned. I could breathe, but with difficulty and great effort. I spent almost a month in an iron lung until the paralysis eased up and, though breathing was still difficult, the doctors and nurses taught me some techniques that allowed me to get out of the machine. I spent almost 7 months in the hospital before being released to go home. I felt weak and had to use crutches for a few weeks. But, amazingly, I made an almost complete recovery, regaining nearly all I had lost. I played baseball in high school and worked on the farm doing all the normal things farmers have to do, including some heavy lifting. After graduating high school in 1965, I joined the army and stayed in for over 20 years, including two combat tours in Vietnam. About a year after retiring from the Army, I started to notice some weakness in my left side and in my right arm. I tried to ignore it, but as it continued to worsen, I saw a neurologist, who did a bunch of tests and, coupled with my history of childhood polio, was diagnosed with post-polio syndrome. I didn't have polio, but I was exhibiting symptoms. Movement was becoming more difficult, especially walking and using my left arm. The neurologist had started a support group for people with post-polio syndrome and I started attending. There I talked to people who were back in wheelchairs decades after they recovered from the polio. Many found the weakness and some paralysis returning. Today, over 65 years after making almost a full recovery from polio, I am in a power wheelchair. I have mild to moderate difficulty swallowing. To complicate things, I was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Eight years ago, I gave my life to Christ and was baptized Aug. 28, 2012. When all of the physical ailments hit me, I almost lost my faith. What was the purpose of giving my life to God, when all he was going to do was destroy it. But then I spent an afternoon over some coffee with one of my best friends who is also my pastor, the man who led me to God and baptized me. He didn't try to sugarcoat anything or make excuses for God. What he told me was even better. He said that Christ didn't say everything was going to be a bed of roses when you follow him. But what He did promise was that we won't have to go through the tough times alone, that He will be by our side and, if necessary, carry us in His arms. Today, things are not getting any better, but I know I am not alone. Sometimes I awake in the middle of the night feeling fearful. But it's then that I can almost hear a very quiet voice telling me to go back to sleep, that He will always be there watching over me.

[@healinggrounds19]

God bless you sir

[@donna06340]

God it great...you must have been picked to be a “suffering servent “ my husband also had post polio syndrome....it’s crazy how doctors actually don’t know what it is It hides in your body for years than comes back full force.( s whole left side was affected and he had fusions on his back) it’s also something to think about is that 99% of polio patients will never Get cancer. I wish you the best of luck sir and I thank you for your service to our country.

[@Kazasia-_-]

william mussetter God bless you an thank you for your service

[@cynthiacupler8005]

Really liked your story, I got polio when I was 2 years old, I now have pps.

[@classmcsass1775]

I remember that guy Paul once needed someone to repair his machine so he made a video explaining his situation and asked for anyone with experience to help him out. Hope he got his help

[@dominicanplug6550]

I live a few blocks away from the children's hospital in boston. The number of youngins saved there anually is mind blowing.

[@lottieloup6761]

Imagina those poor guys who got polio like days before the vaccine went around

[@zweks]

Thats how I felt when finishing Anne Frank's Diary :(

[@youssef4451]

@@woresor5585 i don't think thats how vaccines work

[@shub_2005]

@@woresor5585 u

[@JackHaveman52]

@@woresor5585 Vaccines don't cure. They prevent the disease. Once you're sick, the vaccine is useless. It's how vaccines eliminate a disease. Everyone gets vaccinated until the virus that causes the disease no longer exists. That's how smallpox was eradicated. The smallpox virus needs a susceptible host to infect in order to survive. If everyone is vaccinated, there is no host.