With the recent announcement of additional polio cases in New York and Israel, leading in one case to paralysis, the need for us to educate others of the critical need for childhood immunization could not be greater. In some areas of the U.S., immunization rates are only in the 50s, which would be catastrophic in the event of a wider outbreak. As one of the greatest advances of modern medicine, vaccines are safe, effective, and save millions of lives each year. Our progress in the fight to end polio is proof that vaccines work. The polio vaccine has already saved more than 20 million children around the world from paralysis. Rotary’s efforts to eradicate this dread disease from the planet must be pushed to conclusion.
There are a number of ways you can take action and help spread that word in advance of World Immunization Week, coming up April 24th-30th:
- download and use the materials in Rotary’s World Immunization Week Toolkit from the Resource Center;
- show the video about the 12.5 million “Zero-Dose Children” at your next club or district meeting;
- make a cash or DDF donation to PolioPlus;
- start an online fundraiser with Raise for Rotary.