It was an ordinary day. Reading an article about polio, measles, and rubella and how little those under the age of 60 seem to know about those diseases today. All three were just about totally eliminated through the use of a vaccine. So, why is it that many of those living today fear taking a vaccine to try an eliminate COVID-19. If everyone in the world had received the vaccine for COVID-19, we may have come close to eliminating it by now rather than having one huge breakout of the disease once again. The vaccine that was developed for polio came out in 1955 while the vaccine for measles was developed in 1963 with the vaccine for rubella coming in 1969. Since 2008, there have been only 3,469 cases of measles in this country with 1,282 of those cases arriving in 2019. Before the measles vaccine was developed three to 4 million people, mostly children, were infected annually with 400 to 500 dying from the disease. Plus 48,000 of them were hospitalized. As for polio, in the late 1940s, an average of over 35,000 people were disabled by polio annually. Parents were frightened to let their children go outside. My parents feared going on vacation to the New Jersey Shore for fear I would get polio and die or become handicapped from the disease. I had a friend who went to elementary school with me who had the disease and was confined to a wheelchair for as long as I can remember. He graduated with me while in a wheelchair. Thanks to the vaccination, polio hasn't been seen in the United States since 1979. And rubella is also scarce with about 10 cases a year reported in the United States now as compared to the 12.5 million reported in 1963-1964. This is all due to being vaccinated. Vaccines are remarkable, lifesaving as well as life-changing. If only people would take the time to get vaccinated we wouldn't be where we are today with the resurgence of COVID-19 back once again. It is estimated that our country needs a vaccination rate of 93% to 95% to keep diseases under control with a chance of eliminating them. So why is it that the percentage rate of vaccinations for COVID-19 is so low? If you are a parent of a child living right now, try to remember what your parents did for you when you were a child and had you vaccinated for the childhood diseases I have written about in this story. Do what is right for your children and have them vaccinated as well as yourself. You may or may not have had all the other vaccinations that I have described, but why not get the COVID-19 vaccination for everyone in your family. You wait too long and have someone in your family die from it and you will never forgive yourself for not having them vaccinated. All my information for this story was obtained from an article that I read that was written by Dr. Mike Roizen who is the chief wellness officer and chairman of the Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. He is published weekly in our local newspaper. He too hopes that everyone would get vaccinated to help control the virus and keep people from needlessly dying. I just can't see why some people won't receive their vaccination and help eliminate the disease. If they or a loved one dies from COVID-19, they will never forgive themselves. That little prick in the arm may save the life of a family member. Go get that shot as soon as you can! You'll be keeping me and all your friends and neighbors safe as well as yourself. So...just do it! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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