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To the editor:

I am writing in response to the letter by Mr. William Lane in Friday’s paper.

I am a 20-year-old student that works part time. I have listened to many people discuss the shots and if we should be getting them. My overwhelming response is to get the shot!

As a young child, I watched my great-grandmother limp when she walked, and I never paid attention to the reason. I found out later that when she was a child, she had polio. She almost died, and her father worked every day with her doing physical therapy so she could learn to walk. After I heard this, I was determined that myself and any child I would have, would be vaccinated against polio and other childhood diseases. I also am thankful for the many researchers that spent their lives working to find ways to keep us from getting serious illnesses. It seems like we have come so far with technology and science, that sometimes we forget to use what will help us.

I have had shots since I was born and certain years in school, I had to have boosters or new shots. Even though I do not like getting a shot, I feel that it is the best way to fight any diseases that can hurt me or someone in my family. When the vaccine became available to me, I was one of the first to ask for it. I was anxious to get it to protect the older members of my family. Not only did I feel obligated to protect myself, but my family and anyone that comes in contact with me. Common sense has eluded these people that won’t get a vaccine. Either something political or just fear has made people with normal intelligence lose focus. This is not something that will not go away if we don’t try to vaccinate everyone. Like polio, it can be eradicated if we all just get our shots.

I would suggest to not only the assistant commonwealth’s attorney but anyone that has let pride, politics or fear guide their judgment, to go to a hospital and see how many people are being stricken with this disease. Think how you can keep someone in your family or in your neighborhood from getting this disease. I totally agree with Mr. Lane when he said to “man up!”

 

Tyler Mullen