With an increasingly cynical world, the task of eliminating polio is nearly impossible without a global scientific authority. Recent events like the COVID-19 pandemic have sown distrust between major nations – such as the U.S. and China. Examining the 1970’s, aggressive local and WHO efforts allowed for  total eradication of smallpox. This was only possible with global cooperation. Yet while polio may be low in numbers, a coordinated and cooperative plan for total eradication is, unlike with smallpox, currently unattainable. A rise in nationalism and anti-vaccination has deepened distrust between nations and their scientists while stunting efforts for polio eradication.