When I was a child there were no vaccinations against the childhood diseases so I suffered through them. The mumps in first grade. I can still remember how I sobbed heartbroken because that day Mr. Gianti, the science teacher, was going to take us on a trip to the moon. Two weeks out of school even though after the first few days I felt fine.
I had the chicken pox twice, the second time during puberty. There were pox everywhere and the itch almost drove me out of my mind. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy. Measles and German measles also made their appearance with the resulting itches, aches and quarantines.
And then there was the yearly scare of polio when you had to stay home away from public places and you could feel the tension of your parents. My best friend suffered from polio when she was six. Although it was a light case she had a very weakened right arm. She also lost all her teeth before she was 70 and suffers from memory loss even though both her parents lived well into their 80s in excellent health.
The science is clear. Vaccinations work.
Diana Cotter
Middlebury