India Manages to Free Itself of Polio

This is bigger news than most news stories you'll read this year, or this decade for that matter.

Really happy about this news. I cannot imagine how much effort it takes to fight against the misconceptions and prejudices of various local groups to achieve this massive milestone.<p>I am still worried though.<p>I have seen large groups of people who still refuse to vaccinate the newborns in their community. The ignorance and misinformation that is widespread even in the supposedly well educated stratas of society is just mind boggling.<p>I know many well educated people (some are teachers!) who have not given ANY vaccination to their newborns.<p>A few months ago, my father (a doctor) had a visitor from his native village. The visitor (who was a distant relative too) had come to consult dad about his ailments. One of his hands was disabled. While we were having coffee, the guy asked dad about the polio vaccination drive that is happening in the village and how he and the others are not vaccinating the infants. They believe that America is trying to sterilize muslims to reduce the population. They believe that vaccination can cause autism etc. So dad reminded our visitor that his hand is disabled because he had caught polio in his childhood. STILL, the dude was arguing with my dad. Needless to say, I was furious at the state of affairs for the next few days :(

Meanwhile in Pakistan the Taliban has banned polio vaccination.<p><a href="http://indianexpress.com/article/world/asia/vaccinators-refuse-to-join-pak-polio-drive-due-to-threats/" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;indianexpress.com&#x2F;article&#x2F;world&#x2F;asia&#x2F;vaccinators-refu...</a>

This is the result of one of the biggest vaccination drives ever. Great work by India&#x27;s central governement, various state governements, WHO, UNICEF, Rotary International and various other NGOs and volunteers.

I must say this clearly, in the interest of that is the truth:<p>Eradication of Polio, was a Nation and its people, combined effort, of years and decades, through struggle and patience. First, the people in the West, who provided the means in form of the vaccine, and the constant push to keep the wheel running. Then the politicians, to set aside their differences, to accept what is for the good of all, both Congress&#x2F;BJP held the govt and supported this cause without differences during the last 20 years. Thirdly the whole fraternity of Polio workers and Associated services for the time of their life. Fourthly, the families of the people involved for their patience, and sacrifice. And Last but not the least, for people specially parents accross all demographies to actually realize, the future of their kids, the promise of a normal life to their kids, the future generation of this nation is in their own hand. So they must come out in force-en-masse to achieve which is still far away, yet getting closer.. and today, in this time and age we have finally achieved what we set out to do years ago through a combined effort.<p>Now if someone as if dares to spit on that true wonder of human struggle, for personal satisfaction of supporting a political party, or a person.. putting them up as the lone saviour, disgrace and wrath of everything be upon such a person. (God have mercy on such a man)<p>Also, I love HN, as it is... dispite what Pushy Politics was played by forged accounts, and vested interests in the comment section of Indian Websites, HN was always clean of such mess, and I thank the people responsible for that. So, lets keep this that way.<p>This is Personal, if you haven&#x27;t got it by now!<p><a href="http://media.cleveland.com/world_impact/photo/10442222-large.jpg" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;media.cleveland.com&#x2F;world_impact&#x2F;photo&#x2F;10442222-large...</a><p>PS: The Punchline for Indian Polio program was-- Do Boond Zindagi Ke(2 Drops of Life)<p>One of the adverts (WITH ENG SUBS): <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbCEualxnRs" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.youtube.com&#x2F;watch?v=zbCEualxnRs</a>

&quot;India frees itself from polio&quot;<p><i>Manages</i>, makes it sound like a fluke. They could have used a better verb for an amazing achievement. It was a very big grassroot level movement for decades.

Unfortunately there&#x27;s a massive outbreak in Syria right now, big enough I was encouraged to get a booster shot before I went to Israel.

Not even 100 years before even the most powerful man in the world could do nothing to fight this disease, now even the least fortunate can avoid having to suffer from this. A great victory for humankind.

Fantastic news. The chances of humanity actually managing to get its shit together and make it past this century just ticked up a tiny tiny amount.

Am I the only one who can&#x27;t read this because it requires some kind of login?

Which by itself is great news.<p>The Indian program involves giving multiple doses of the oral vaccine to babes (Pulse Polio). Unfortunately the number of does of the oral vaccine babies receive is correlated with AFP - Accute Flacid Paralysis - a tragedy similar to the paralysis caused by polio. <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/polio-free-does-not-mean-paralysis-free/article4266043.ece" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.thehindu.com&#x2F;opinion&#x2F;lead&#x2F;polio-free-does-not-mea...</a> In some states babies are getting over a dozen doses.<p>A move to the injectible vaccine will reduce this risk, but since the injectible vaccine costs a lot more it&#x27;s likely the coverage will fall.

As long as a rogue agent doesn&#x27;t get their hands on this:<p><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/2122619.stm" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.bbc.co.uk&#x2F;1&#x2F;hi&#x2F;2122619.stm</a>

How I can make it go viral? Congrats, its a big news.

Indian regime is spending $1 billion&#x2F;year on space research when 50% of its children are malnourished.<p><a href="http://m.timesofindia.com/india/Every-second-Indian-child-is-malnourished-Report/articleshow/25724848.cms" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;m.timesofindia.com&#x2F;india&#x2F;Every-second-Indian-child-is...</a>

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