115 years ago, a doctor who decided not to patent his vaccine so that all pharmaceutical companies could manufacture it and offer it to all children in the world.Abram Saperstejn (later Albert Sabin) was born in Białystok, Russian Empire (before and since 1918 in Poland), to Polish-Jewish parents, Jacob Saperstejn and Tillie Krugman. In 1921, he emigrated with his family on the SS Lapland which sailed from Antwerp, Belgium, to the Port of New York. In 1930, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States and changed his name to Sabin, as well as assuming the middle name Bruce.
Sabin began university in a dentistry program, but was interested in virology and changed majors. He received a bachelor’s degree in science in 1928 and a medical degree in 1931 from New York University.
Between 1959-1961 millions of children from eastern countries, Asia and Europe were vaccinated: the polio vaccine suppressed the epidemic.
In 1969–72, he lived in Israel, serving as President of Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot.
In 1983, Sabin developed calcification of the cervical spine, which caused paralysis and intense pain.