By GILLIAN SLADE on October 28, 2019.
gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade
Last Thursday was World Polio Day and for those of us who have never observed the ravages of polio it often passes without a second thought.
When I was in school in the 1960s it was all around me.
There was a beautiful girl with a withered leg. Although she was able to walk without a caliper she had a significant limp throwing her hip off to one side. I have often thought about her since and wondered what long-term health consequences she suffered from that alone.
Then there was a boy who only walked with the aid of heavy metal calipers. He always appeared cheerful. Our classrooms were on two floors with stairs the only way to reach the top floor. As we ran up the stairs several boys took turns providing a piggy-back ride to the one who had had polio. They made it all seem like a lot of fun – “he ain’t heavy, he’s my brother.”
At that stage of my life I knew that in spite of the challenges these two scholars faced they were the lucky ones, for they had not died from polio.
Before I had even started school, I believe I was three years old, my mother announced that every week for the next three Mondays we would be going to the nearby health clinic where I would be getting several vaccinations by way of injection.
I hated injections and protested. My mom pointed out to me the people in the community who clearly were living with the results of surviving polio and I clearly did not want that – did I?
I did not but I was still terrified. I would cry, just like many of the little children at the flu clinics did this week.
Rotarians decided in 1977 to make eradicating polio a goal and have worked incredibly hard and continue toward that goal.
It is so important to be vaccinated. With world travel, an infectious disease can spread so quickly. Please don’t think that because you have not seen anyone with polio here that there is no need to be conscientious about vaccinations.
I am so grateful for a mom who understood the importance in spite of my complaints.
Here’s to the vaccinations that can stop the spread of so many diseases and here’s To Your Health.
To Your Health is a weekly column by Gillian Slade, health reporter for the News, bringing you news on health issues and research from around the world. You can reach her at gslade@medicinehatnews.com or 403-528-8635.