The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Opinion The Checkup With Dr. Wen: Readers recall the suffering of vaccine-preventable diseases

By
Contributing columnist|
April 18, 2024 at 4:30 p.m. EDT
Nurse Anita Eastwood attends to a 27-year-old polio patient in an iron lung on Nov. 30, 1954. (AP Photo) (uncredited/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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You’re reading The Checkup With Dr. Wen, a newsletter on how to navigate covid-19 and other public health challenges. Click here to get the full newsletter in your inbox, including answers to reader questions and a summary of new scientific research.

In last week’s newsletter, I asked readers who remember the days before routine childhood immunizations to share their stories from that time. Doing so, I believe, is our best chance to convince those who remain unsure about vaccines of their necessity.