Editor:
The most haunting image from my medical school days was the face of a dying young polio victim being kept alive in an “iron lung.” Polio caused paralysis or death quickly. It’s now a thing of the past because of vaccines.
Vaccination has suppressed or eradicated infectious diseases such as smallpox, measles, tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. Vaccines against COVID-19 are proving safe and effective, but vaccine skeptics have proved a menace. They thwart our society’s ability to protect itself from contagious diseases and to bring the present pandemic under control.
When COVID-19 was gaining strength in early 2020, America was saddled with a political leader who understood the politics of power but not the power of science. Fortunately we are blessed with a scientific community that quickly created the miracle of effective vaccines, as well as a host of experienced public health experts. Dr. Anthony Fauci predicted that unless we could achieve herd immunity, a critical mass of the population protected by vaccination, we would be plagued by newer variants of the virus. His prophesy has come true.
America has surpassed 800,000 COVID-19 deaths, with 1,300 succumbing daily. So far 175,000 of our children have lost a parent to the virus.
Josef Stalin was quoted as saying, “A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths are a statistic.” With persistence of our present daily death rate, 1 million will be reached within five months.
I urge readers to be vaccinated and wear a mask. Don’t have your name added to that dread statistic.
Thomas B. Souders, MD
Wyomissing
Source: Berkshire mont
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