We’ve been here before.

For half of the 20th century, polio was affecting tens of thousands of children annually. Transmitted by person-to-person contact, polio’s lingering paralytic effects frightened anxious parents so much that people avoided gatherings altogether. Schools were closed, activities were paused. There was no vaccine, no cure, no hope for eradication. The children who were infected were ostracized in their community for fear of further spreading the disease.

Compare that to today.

Over the last year we have seen photos of lonely, frightened covid-19 patients looking out hospital windows. We have heard time and time again that the virus can spread even when the infected person has minimal or no symptoms. We have learned hospitals could be overwhelmed, forced to turn away those who need medical help. And yet, even though we have an effective solution many people are still “vaccine-hesitant.”

According to a recent CBS News Poll, nearly 50% of those surveyed said they are “on the fence” or will not get the covid-19 vaccine. Even worse, when asked why, 1 in 5 respondents say they have never gotten any vaccines.

It’s this vaccine skepticism that brings sadness to a generation of polio survivors, who are living with the lifelong effects of what is now a vaccine-preventable disease. These effects known as Post-Polio Syndrome (PPS) inspired me to form the Pennsylvania Polio Survivors Network (PPSN). A polio survivor myself, I am a living reminder of what a world without a vaccine looks like. The late effects of polio have put me in a leg brace; I require a cane for stability; I struggle to manage chronic pain and am dependent on a wheelchair for any distance walking. All because the now widely distributed vaccine came too late for me.

Unfortunately, we are now hearing the word “long haulers” being associated with the potential long-term effects (for both children and adults) in those who recover from covid-19. Only history will be able to tell our health care professionals the truth as to what damage this virus is leaving in its path of destruction.

At PPSN, our message on disease prevention is simple, positive and evidence-based: Vaccines work. Early data suggests the covid-19 vaccine is no different.

As of February, nearly 84% of Israel’s population 70 and older had received both shots of Pfizer’s covid-19 vaccine. These mass vaccinations alone have led to a dramatic drop in cases in those most vulnerable to the disease. Even more encouraging, clinical trials have found the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to be 95% effective in preventing covid-19, and both Pfizer and Moderna’s shots are successful in lessening the severity of covid-19 cases.

We live in an age where it’s far too easy to be guided by misinformation and fear. Speaking not just for myself, but for the thousands of permanently disabled polio survivors in our network, we are hopeful that you will not let fear guide your direction. We aim to inspire everyone to educate themselves on the safety and efficacy of the covid-19 vaccine through easily accessed vaccine information resources.

As a result of a worldwide focus on disease prevention and treatment and the importance of vaccination, polio has been eradicated in the United States and nearly every other country in the world.

We are hopeful that history soon will point to the time when covid-19 was announced as eradicated for the same reason.

Why?

Because we’ve seen what the world looks like without vaccines. And if history tells us anything, we’ll see it again.

Carol Ferguson is the founder of the Pennsylvania Polio Survivors Network (PPSN) and a Rotarian. For more information on the late effects of polio and the effectiveness of vaccines, visit papolionetwork.org.

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