To the editor:
I’m not quite old enough to recall the multi-talented Beatles singing through the screams and tears of fans as they became legends on the Ed Sullivan show, which means that I also don’t recall the time prior to one of the most fabulous accomplishments of science: vaccines.
I can’t share a heart-wrenching story of a loved one’s terrifying diagnosis and treatment of a now preventable or eradicated disease. No sharing of the tragic impact on my life and the ripple effects into the community. I was born after the miracle of the Salk and measles vaccines, watching Johnny Quest and tossing metal yard darts with no appreciation of the luxuries vaccinations had provided me.
I was never engulfed in the fear of the polio epidemic. Swimming pools, movie theaters and playgrounds were available for my entertainment. The pictures of children in iron lungs were curious relics of the past — only seen in historical photos and documentaries.
That makes incomprehensible and infuriating the current shift to embrace dangerous ignorance and baseless conspiracy theories along with the casual discarding of decades of scientific advancements.
Before the development of effective vaccinations, nearly 20 percent of U.S. children died before their 5th birthday, mostly from infectious diseases. Measles vaccinations saved nearly 94 million lives globally. Smallpox vaccinations saved more than 300 million lives (and eradicated the disease). Polio vaccinations saved 20 million from becoming paralyzed and has nearly eradicated the disease.
Vaccinations save lives, reduce healthcare spending, increase labor productivity, decrease caregiving strains and grow the economy. Every $1 spent on child immunizations in the U.S. results in an estimated $11 saved in medical and societal costs — a fantastic economic return on investment.
On the flip side, as more people are not vaccinated, outbreaks will return, and their size and severity will increase as will their cost.
Are all public health and safety standards to be dismantled? What about the science giving us more features and apps on our cell phones? Safety advances in our cars? Artificial intelligence?
How is some science okay while the science proven to save lives for decades — which also advances our economy — is suddenly (with no data provided) not to be trusted?
If you want a great America, then why vote for, enable or support the destruction of what had been the envy of the world — our competitive lead in the advancements in science. Seems you’re ignoring both the cha-ching of a healthy workforce and the national-security risks of an unhealthy, vulnerable populace.
To quote Stephen Colbert, “You’re short-sighted and long-stupided” — and hypocritical. Don’t destroy vaccination requirements and research funding and tell me that your family is the most important thing to you. Supporting vaccinations and research is the hope you have for keeping and extending that precious time.
Laura Stebbins
Perry
