The scourge of polio was stalking the nation. I was 11 years old and my best friend, Paul, was the brightest, most creative kid I knew. One day I called Paul to make arrangements to get together. Paul’s mother answered the phone and informed me that Paul had died of polio.
I was shocked, confused and crestfallen. While my public school provided the Salk polio vaccine to every student, Paul’s religious school did not, leaving him and his peers extremely vulnerable to the disease. The vaccine was extremely efficient and stopped polio in its tracks.
I did not make friends easily after that, because I didn’t want to get hurt again. Don’t let this tragic outcome befall you or your family. Be sure to get the COVID-19 vaccine which is very effective, easily available and quite safe for children ages 5 and older.
