'Our parents didn't have a choice': Vaccinate your children, polio survivors plead
Polio vaccines came too late to stop outbreaks, says the Post-Polio Network; today's parents have no excuses
Our parents didn't have a choice.
Today's parents do. But some are making the wrong one.
Today, a lot of people receive their news using social media — and not traditional media sources.
Unfortunately, this has led to a lot of false information and misinformed groups, such as the so-called "anti-vaxxers."
Although concerns regarding vaccinations (e.g. the claim they cause autism) have been debunked by science and medical specialists, people who do not believe in vaccinations refuse to vaccinate their children.
This leaves them open to major communicable diseases that can have lifetime repercussions.
We, as polio survivors, live every day with a multitude of issues.
Many of us spent childhood months in hospitals, some living in "iron lungs" and being treated with measures that were unproven, in hopes of helping us return to our homes and families.
Many of those fortunate ones who survived today live with post-polio syndrome, which echoes the symptoms of the original virus. Some are able to maintain mobility, though sometimes with crutches and walkers. Others are confined to wheelchairs. Others live with debilitating pain, fatigue, breathing and swallowing troubles.
The first poliomyelitis vaccine was developed in the mid-1950s — but not in time to prevent major outbreaks at the time in Winnipeg and Manitoba.
Not in time to give anxious parents the choice to vaccinate against the dreaded virus.
The first major outbreak in Manitoba occurred in 1928, and the last major outbreak occurred in 1953.
In total, the number of reported cases during that time period was over 5,500. More than 2,000 cases of polio were reported in Winnipeg alone. To put that in perspective, the population of Winnipeg in 1953 was 234,000.
The numbers are shocking and show how an unvaccinated community can be ravaged by a single communicable disease.
Many provinces in Canada are now legislating to have compulsory vaccinations for school-aged children.
Manitoba has not.
At their 2018 annual general meeting, the Manitoba School Boards Association voted against a motion that would have made vaccinations compulsory.
In Ontario, where school-aged vaccination is legislated, a group of parents wants to challenge it in court.
No child or adult should have to live with the threat of a lifetime with a disability (or death) due to the lack of a vaccination.
We implore everyone to ensure that your children and you are safe — get vaccinated.
Our parents didn't have a choice. You do.
This column is part of CBC's Opinion section. For more information about this section, please read this editor's blog and our FAQ.
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