March of Dimes Canada (MODC) has named Dr. Janet McElhaney of Sudbury as the 2021 winner of the annual Jonas Salk Award. The award is named in honour of the man who in the mid-1950s discovered a vaccine that effectively eliminated the crippling childhood disease polio.
The Salk award was created by MODC in 1994 to honour any Canadian scientist, physician or researcher who has made a new and outstanding contribution in science or medicine to prevent, alleviate or eliminate a physical disability.
Dr. McElhaney is the scientific director at Health Sciences North Research Institute in Sudbury Ontario, which is the research arm of HSN. McElhaney is a geriatrician, immunologist, vaccinologist, academic and policy advisor. Along with the prestige, there is a cash award of $10,000 for the recipient.
In an interview with Sudbury.com is 2019, McElhaney spoke of the importance of senior citizens getting their flu shot.
“What I want people to understand about that is the role of vaccination changes as we age. We have more chronic diseases and our immune systems weaken over time,” said McElhaney at the time.
She said the immune response for seniors is not as robust as it is for younger adults. That means the flu shot for seniors does not always stop the flu. But she said it still goes a long way to helping people survive the flu, as compared to seniors who do not get the flu shot.
The award has been presented to numerous outstanding Canadian medical leaders over the years.
