It’s World Polio Day. It offers not just a temporary reprieve from our media-weary souls but an opportunity to recognize the many international efforts aimed at ending polio. It’s a chance to help kids and families on the other side of the world. It’s also a chance to forget about the less than immediate and dire threats to our own kids (e.g., high fructose corn syrup, video games, standard testing) and instead focus on one of the worst diseases still stalking children around the globe:
The eradication of polio from the western hemisphere is among the most significant public health achievements of all time, but victory over polio cannot be claimed until the entire world is made safe from the disease, and that is the commitment the global public health community has made. U.S. Center of Disease Control via World Moms Blog
If you’re looking for a big bad health threat, here it is, alive and still taking victims young and old. Make today about polio and as you go about your normal routine feel free to forget about:
The baby monitor with the built-in blood oxygen monitor
The tainted breast milk
The vinyl floor at your school
Your baby’s innate number sense
Your toddler’s word recognition skills
Your daughter who hates soccer and thus won’t be a math and science whiz
Your kid who doesn’t take piano and thus won’t be the next Einstein
Your tween’s request for colored contacts
Forget all that for now. Here’s what you can do right now to help stop polio forever:
1) JOIN SHOT@LIFE. Sign up at Shot@Life.org. Feel free to donate. A mere $20 vaccinates a child for life against polio, measles, pneumonia and the rotavirus. The polio vaccine costs as little as one dollar.
2) CONTACT YOUR SENATOR. The U.S. Senate has introduced a resolution to commemorate World Polio Day in recognition of the work already done and the work still needed to remove this threat. Tell your Senator to support S. Reso 270.
3) JOIN THE TWITTER PARTY. The #endpolionow party, tonight, October 24th at 8pm-9m EST. My fellow Shot@Life champions and I will be tweeting about the near eradication of polio.
4) TELL ME YOUR STORY. Did or someone you know experience polio?
5) READ ABOUT POLIO. Try these posts by my fabulous friends and colleagues at Shot@Life. I’ll be adding links throughout the day and by all means, let me know if I’ve missed one. For parents burdening by the 15- to 30-minute reading log, yes, this counts towards the daily required reading. Have your kid read a post or three. Log it. Sign it. Like it. You have my permission.
Why Should We End Polio Now? Live Do Grow
WORLD POLIO Day: Actions you can take to help eradication polio World Moms Blog
Polio? PoliNO! My Mommy Reads
World Polio Day 2014: There’s still work to do Only Laila
It’s World Polio Day Dirt and Noise
Nurses Night Out Focuses on Polio Prevention Nurses Who Vaccinate via Shot of Prevention
The History of World Polio Day Advocate Momma
Why Me? Why Global Vaccines? A Day in Our Shoes
Experiences from the Heart of the Polio Outbreaks Shot of Prevention
The Battle We’ve Almost Won: Eradicating Polio Third Eye Mom
World Polio Day, Small Steps for a Polio Free World End Poverty
We even have posts written by kids. That’s right. Our young activists! The first post finds a young girl making a difference at Explore With Spunk. A second post comes from two brothers at I’m as Free as a Bird. The third comes from a boy at The Real Deal Post.
This: "If you're looking for a big bad health threat, here it is, alive and still taking victims young and old"–this is why we do what we do! Thanks for such a fabulously curated list of resources and articles.
Hey Elena. Thanks for your fabulousness.
We are almost there….1% and then no more big bad polio!
D@#*! one percent!
Great post recap, Polly!
Jen 🙂