America’s measles resurgence should concern more than parents. It should remind all of us why the world cannot afford to stop short of polio eradication.The United States is experiencing its worst measles year in decades. Most cases have occurred among people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown. Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, yet declining vaccination coverage has created openings for the virus to return.
That is an important warning for the fight against polio.
After four decades of sustained global effort, wild poliovirus remains endemic in only Afghanistan and Pakistan. We are closer than ever to eradication, but the final mile is also the most difficult. Reaching every child requires continued vaccination, disease surveillance, community engagement, and adequate funding.
Measles and polio are different diseases, but they teach the same lesson: public health victories do not sustain themselves. When vaccination coverage falls, surveillance weakens, or funding disappears, preventable diseases find the gaps.
Rotary has spent more than 40 years working to close those gaps. Since launching PolioPlus in 1985, Rotarians worldwide have contributed billions of dollars and countless volunteer hours to the eradication effort. Through our partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rotary contributions continue to be matched two-to-one.
Here in Rotary District 7930, our clubs are part of that historic effort through PolioPlus giving, PolioPlus Society memberships, education, advocacy, and World Polio Day activities.
On October 24, World Polio Day, we have an opportunity to remind our communities why finishing the job matters. The return of measles in the United States shows us what can happen when vaccination and public health vigilance weaken. We should not allow the same lesson to be learned with polio.
We have the vaccines. We have the knowledge. We have come too far to stop now. Let us finish the job and make polio history.