Marilyn Mucha Speaks About Her Trip to India for National Immunization Day

Some information she shared

- Polio enters the mouth from hands from the stool of another.

-Paralysis can be of the muscles, or lungs

-India has many who suffer the side effects with deformities and paralysis from having polio at some point of their lives

-there are corrective surgery hospital projects where the cost is shared between Rotarians and government

-polio plus began in 1985 and have sponsors like WHO, UNICEF, DCN and the Bill and Anne Gates Program.

-in 1987 India had 350,000 cases of polio; in 2011 they were polio free. To be declared free officially they must remain so for 3 years

-There are four countries where Polio is still alive. Referred to as PAIN

Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, and Nigeria.

-It is a continuous battle to immunize as there are 500,000 babies born daily

-when she was there they worked in booths similar to a carnival booth with 6 volunteers, part of the 200 foreign volunteers assisting with this campaign.

They kick off with a parade down a main street in Delhi to bring awareness to the people, followed the next day working in booths set up in different areas, and, ending the 3rd day, by going door to door throughout the city. They truly strive to reach everyone.

There are colorful, carnival type booths set up in the streets and people line up outside with their children.

-On the Immunization Day, the booth Marilyn worked at put through 400 children from 9:30 to 2:00. They administered 2 drops of serum in the child's mouth and painted their pinkie finger nail purple, starting the catchy phrase- Purple Pinkie Day. In total there were 709,000 children immunized throughout the country.

-Marilyn said as poor as the children are they are happy. They love to see the foreign works and are always smiling and content.

It was an informative and emotional presentation, a trip never to be forgotten, and made us all proud and thankful for polio plus.