Unbelievably, within the final 50 years, vaccines have saved 154 million individuals — that’s greater than 3 million a 12 months or six individuals each minute — and right this moment, vaccines proceed to guard us towards dozens of preventable, lethal ailments like polio.
Because of the ability of vaccines, Rotary and its World Polio Eradication Initiative companions have decreased polio circumstances by 99.9% worldwide. As we strategy World Immunization Week on the finish of April, as a Rotary member, I’m shedding gentle on the worth of vaccines.
They’re essential to stopping polio in a number of international locations the place it nonetheless circulates and to stopping the reemergence of polio in locations it now not exists.
Whereas individuals could query immunization, the reality is that while you’re vaccinated, not solely are you instantly shielded from critical sickness, however others are additionally shielded by way of herd immunity. When sufficient individuals in an space are vaccinated towards a virus, it turns into tough for the virus to unfold.
Please be part of me in championing vaccines and polio eradication by encouraging vaccine acceptance, calling on elected officers to fund polio eradication efforts and guaranteeing that you just and your kids are immunized. You too can go to endpolio.org to be taught different methods to get entangled.
Ezra Teshome, Seattle
