IMMUNIZATIONS: Needed to save lives
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 3 years, 1 month AGO
In July of this year a case of paralytic poliomyelitis was confirmed in an unvaccinated man in New York. The virus was found in wastewater in at least five New York counties. Most people in the U.S. are vaccinated, but not all. Polio was eradicated from the U.S. in 1979. Similar to New York, the poliovirus has been found in wastewater samples in London and Jerusalem. With only 29 cases worldwide in 2022, we are on the threshold of eradicating polio.
Currently, a child dies every 20 seconds of a vaccine-preventable disease. You can help advocate for lifesaving vaccines by contacting Senator Risch, Senator Crapo and Representative Fulcher to ask that they fund global childhood immunization programs in the 2023 U.S. budget.
We must increase access to vaccines for everyone around the world to end the spread of deadly diseases. Our national security and economy have been threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic, and we need to invest in immunization to build resilient health systems around the world.
LORNA SCHUMANN
Post Falls