Polio will return with a vengeance if the task of eradicating it is not finished soon0

• SCIENCE, Science / Health, Science Mission Directorate, scientists, Space, Space Communications & Navigation Program, Space Launch System (SLS), Space Telescope, space-x-ipo, SpaceX
• July 29, 2026

Polio vaccination in Pakistan, where the wild virus continues to circulate.Credit: Arif Ali/AFP/Getty If you are under 60, the global quest to eradicate polio has been with you for most of your adult life. During that time, the natural strain of the virus, also known as wild-type polio, has been eliminated from almost all countries.