With sirens blaring and emergency lights flashing, from an ancient fire truck to Delta Police vehicles, and horns honking from a cavalcade of more than 30 trucks and cars adorned with Rotary regalia, the three Delta Rotary clubs of Ladner, North Delta and Tsawwassen, and Rotary District 5040 Governor Bala Naidoo, plus Delta Police, saluted our courageous healthcare and frontline workers on the evening of April 29th and marked World Immunization Week, and the global focus on disease prevention and treatment.
Through its work at different levels in the world, The Rotary Foundation has already funded CDN$10 million in a variety of COVID-19 projects.
In the middle of World Immunization Week, April 24-30, as scientists work to develop vaccines to protect our families, friends and communities from the destructive COVID-19 coronavirus, it's time, more than ever, to recognize the importance of effective vaccines to protect against disease and how far the world has come in fighting disease.
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Brave healthcare workers risk their health daily, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic: thank you to them and the many frontline workers and those in businesses who keep our community safe and working | Courageous volunteers and health professionals have been working for many years in urban and remote rural areas to administer polio vaccine which has spared a lifetime of crippling disability and saved the lives of 2.5 billion children |
On behalf of presidents of all three Rotary clubs in Delta, Bridget Jacob, President of the Rotary Club of Ladner, says: “Many people around the world, including several from Delta, have helped administer vaccine to many millions of people in the fight to end polio, sometimes at great risk to their health and safety. For that reason, we always have tremendous respect for our healthcare workers here at home, but especially now, during this pandemic.” -- photos below by Chris Offer
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Rotary District 5040 Governor Bala Naidoo | Ladner Rotary President Bridget Jacob's car in full glory | Tsawwassen Rotary President Gail McEwan |
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Start of the 30+ vehicle parade encircled the entire Delta Hospital block | Mike Storey's truck led the parade | An ancient fire truck helped with the flashing lights, sirens and horns |
When Rotary launched its global campaign to fight the crippling and sometimes deadly disease of polio 35 years ago there were 350,000 cases reported every year in 122 countries. Joined over time by international health organizations, foundations and governments, Rotary’s campaign has reduced the number of cases to less than 200 in just two countries in 2019.
Each year, Rotary and partners vaccinate more than 400 million children against polio. Rotary members have contributed $1.9 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries from this paralyzing disease. Today 19 million people who would otherwise be paralyzed by polio are walking, and 1.5 million people who would otherwise have died are alive.
Now, using the vast infrastructure developed over the years to identify the poliovirus and deliver vaccination campaigns, the polio eradication program is pitching in to protect the vulnerable from COVID-19, especially in polio-endemic countries. From Pakistan to Nigeria, the program is drawing on years of experience fighting outbreaks to support governments as they respond to the new virus.
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The 1.2 million business and professional leaders, members of 35,000 Rotary clubs around the world, are engaged in meeting needs of their own local communities and the shared world community. Rotary brings together leaders to exchange ideas and take action to create positive change on priorities such as: • promoting peace • fighting disease • providing clean water • saving mothers and children • supporting education and • growing local economies.