When passion and raw determination are added to the miracle of modern vaccines, great things happen. Over the last 30 years, Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative have seen the reduction of polio cases worldwide, by 99.9 percent. The entire world celebrated in 2020, when the continent of Africa was declared free of the wild poliovirus. As we begin a new year, the children of two countries where the wild poliovirus still circulates (Afghanistan and Pakistan) are still vulnerable to this terrible disease. As long as it still circulates anywhere in the world, children in the US are still vulnerable and must continue to be vaccinated.Over the last two years, the world has seen unsurpassed death and illness from yet another virus. In reading the Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation Position Statement on COVID-19 Vaccination, I am reminded that we have even more work to do. Here we are today, with more than 800,000 American deaths as a result of COVID-19. As a Rotary member and polio survivor, I am particularly aware of the important role vaccines play in halting the spread of disease. With that in mind, we must continue to support polio immunization efforts around the world, just as we continue to support the effort to mitigate COVID-19.
We are sharing fact-based vaccination information – as Rotarians throughout our state and our Network support our PA Immunization Coalition(s). We are speaking out about the realities of life after experiencing the effects of a vaccine preventable disease, encouraging blood donations and distributing packets of vaccine information and resources to daycare centers, pediatricians and hospitals that encourage vaccine acceptance. We still have a lot to do.
Engage with your Rotary Club to learn more about how you can get involved as a partner supporting these efforts in your community. We are doing this not only for ourselves, but for future generations.
We have witnessed the truth first hand. Vaccines Work!
Carol Ferguson
Contact Info: 215-285-6538
(or) email Founder, PA Polio Survivors Network
Rotary District 7430
Member of Bucks County Immunization Coalition.