Polio was declared eradicated in the United States in 1979, putting an end to a horrible virus that at one time permanently disabled an average of 35,000 people a year.

Since then, and thanks to the widespread availability of polio vaccines, no case has originated in the United States. 

Few people alive today truly remember the fear surrounding polio outbreaks that could lead to meningitis, paralysis and even death.

Last month, the New York State Department of Health reported that a case of polio in Rockland County is believed to have originated from another country. It’s the first confirmed case of the virus in the United States in almost a decade. Rockland County was also the site of a measles outbreak in 2019, another viral infection which has been largely eliminated.

It can be easy to forget the large number of diseases that we no longer worry much about thanks to the advancement of vaccines. 

National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) is observed each August to remind us of this.  

During NIAM, everyone is encouraged to talk with their doctor, nurse or healthcare provider to ensure they and their family are protected against serious diseases by being up to date on routine vaccinations.

The World Health Organization estimates that immunizations currently prevent between three and five million deaths every year from diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, influenza and measles. That’s on top of the estimated tens of millions of people who are alive today because of vaccines against COVID-19.

Unfortunately, a disinformation campaign over the past few years has politicized the issue, eroding trust in societal institutions and the science upon which decisions about vaccines are made. 

We are fortunate today that, because of advancements in vaccines and the medical science field as a whole, fewer people have to suffer the devastating effects of diseases that once plagued societies for centuries.