On the importance of immunizations

The Daily Herald's April 13 front page article, "Remembering the Viral Threat of the 1950s" featured suburbanites in their 70s and 80s looking back at the polio crisis.

Polio was a dreadful illness that would terrify families each summer until it was essentially eliminated through immunization. Similarly, the whole world now waits anxiously for medical science to develop an effective vaccine to prevent the viral cause of COVID-19. That won't be fast in coming, however, for its developers must first prove it is extremely safe as well as effective.

As frightened as we all are now, we must be aware that previous generations were often just as scared by so many of the illnesses we now have vaccines against. Our ancestors would have begged for such simple methods to prevent these illnesses. Now, of course, we take our immunization program for granted. Of most concern, some skeptical parents choose to avoid the vaccines, endangering their own and other people's children. Unfortunately, even faithful vaccine-receiving families are now postponing their children's shots, fearful of even entering a doctor's office or clinic.

Yet the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly urges parents to continue their children's immunization routine (especially those less than 2.) The great irony of this current pandemic is that those individuals who endure and successfully recover from COVID-19 are often the lucky ones. They now have immunity (albeit not necessarily perfect protection.) That was true for nearly all the "common childhood diseases." Even chickenpox inspired pajama parties so that susceptible children could get it over with.

The miracle of immunization truly provides the best of both worlds - clinical protection without the burden of the illness itself. May the spring of 2020 be the final "teachable moment" our society needs to realize the treasure we possess in our current vaccination program.

Bruce Bedingfield

Hoffman Estates