POLIO: It’s spreading again

Scary news! Polio is on the rise. Last year, there were only 12 cases worldwide, and authorities were hopeful that there would be even fewer this year. But this year’s total so far is 40, mostly in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the disease’s last strongholds. There was also a recent case in Gaza, where pre-war vaccination rates were 99% — a reminder that disruption to vaccine access can leave the door open for polio to make a comeback. Recently, UN health authorities led a campaign to vaccinate 560,000 children in Gaza to stem the spread of the deadly virus before it paralyzes more children and spreads beyond the region. With international travel, polio is only ever a flight away.

Oct. 24 is World Polio Day. We remain close to conquering this deadly disease, similar to how we finally beat smallpox in 1977: through vaccination. Expanding access to vaccines in low-resource countries will allow us to finally eliminate polio and prevent the spread of other diseases to the United States. As a victim of polio, I would appreciate your support for full funding of the global childhood immunization programs for the 2025 budget by contacting Senators Risch and Crapo and Representative Fulcher. 

1.5 million people still die annually of vaccine-preventable diseases, and most of them are under the age of five. Full funding for global immunization programs will provide vaccines to low-resource countries, saving children’s lives and keeping Americans and the world safe. 

LORNA SCHUMANN

Post Falls