12 November 2025, 17.30 CET
Polio Vaccination in Mexico, 1955 – 1975
Dr. Deyanira Cuanal Cano, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City
In this lecture, Deyanira Cuanal Cano analyzes Mexico’s involvement in the production of polio vaccines in the mid-20th century. It focuses on three key aeras:
- The transnational and international agreements that enabled the establishment and consolidation of its laboratories, as well as local conditions, from 1955 to 1975,
- The tensions that arose from the use of biological materials that derived from viruses, monkeys, and humans,
- The instability of some vaccine preparations within the laboratories.
Finally, the lecture investigates uncertainties that arose from fighting against polio through using vaccines, ranging from vaccine accidents to a lack of control how certain viruses behave in case of contact with various biological agents.
Zoom link of the event: https://kit-lecture.zoom-x.de/j/6884631281?pwd=R3ZwaXVvQWhEaG5MTmlrdytTUXFPUT09
Please contact: stefan.poser@kit.edu