Polio Update
Posted by Shirley Hulin
Michelle reminded us that Polio is the most devastating disease in the world and that there is no cure only prevention through immunization. Polio vaccine, given multiple times, almost always protects a child for life in the endemic countries, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and Nigeria.
The last epidemic in the United States occurred in 1952 pre-vaccine. In 1979, it was the Rotary Club in the Philippines that began the polio eradication effort with a 3-H grant.
In 1988, polio was in 125 countries with over a 1,000 cases a day. Today there are over 1200 cases in the four endemic countries with a few cases popping up in countries were polio was gone. Immunization is important as we become more mobile and global to help prevent another outbreak of polio.
What is an NID? It is Rotary's designated 'National Immunization Day' to immunize an entire country in one day, to reach every child, to immunize every child. Booths were first set-up as a post for families to bring their children, but they realized that not everyone brought their children. After the NID, the Rotary volunteers go door to door, giving the precious drops and marking the 'pinkie' of each child and sometimes marking the doors to track the households and neighborhood.
Rotary's partners are Unicef, World Health, CDC and most recently the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation giving the added needed push to help Rotary get the final stages of polio eradicated. Google has also stepped on board and one of the major donors.
10 million children will be paralyzed if we fail to eradicate and End Polio Now.
In 1988, polio was in 125 countries with over a 1,000 cases a day. Today there are over 1200 cases in the four endemic countries with a few cases popping up in countries were polio was gone. Immunization is important as we become more mobile and global to help prevent another outbreak of polio.
What is an NID? It is Rotary's designated 'National Immunization Day' to immunize an entire country in one day, to reach every child, to immunize every child. Booths were first set-up as a post for families to bring their children, but they realized that not everyone brought their children. After the NID, the Rotary volunteers go door to door, giving the precious drops and marking the 'pinkie' of each child and sometimes marking the doors to track the households and neighborhood.
Rotary's partners are Unicef, World Health, CDC and most recently the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation giving the added needed push to help Rotary get the final stages of polio eradicated. Google has also stepped on board and one of the major donors.
10 million children will be paralyzed if we fail to eradicate and End Polio Now.