Technology

It is amazing to me how short our memories are as a species. There are people who are still in congress who had polio. There are an estimated 300,000 people still alive in the US who survived polio. Even with that, the nominated head of Health and Human Services wants to do away with the polio vaccine.

I don't know what the problem is. Is it a lack of empathy? Is it willingness to swallow the bait surrounding conspiracy theories? Is it just a lack of education? How did we get to the point where it is even remotely okay for the future head of Heath and Human Services to be against the polio vaccine?

If being pro-polio isn't disqualifying for being the head of HHS, and if he gets confirmed, the U.S. will have very clearly shown that it is in rapid decline. It will have shown that the government is corrupt to its core and is irredeemable.

Stark contrast to the reaction most people had to the invention of seatbelts in cars.

If the polio vaccine happened today:

"Salk's Menace" Vaccine Spreads Fear

As the nation's newly adopted vaccine against poliomyelitis, the inactivated poliovirus (IPV) shot, began to circulate, reports of its alleged dangers were already being touted by concerned citizens.

"This is just another example of Big Pharma trying to control our bodies," declared Agnes Johnson, a local mother of five, who claimed she had "lived" with the symptoms of the vaccine. "I've been hearing stories from friends and family of children who suffered from 'long-term' effects" from receiving the shot.

At a recent public health meeting in Brooklyn, Dr. John Smith, a prominent anti-vaxxer, presented his research on what he called "the true story" behind the IPV. He alleged that Salk had "tainted" the vaccine with experimental ingredients, and that the vaccine was being aggressively pushed by government agencies to cover up its supposedly disastrous effects.

"I've seen patients come in with symptoms that were clearly caused by the 'new' shot," Dr. Smith said, his voice filled with conviction. "We're being told it's just a minor risk, but I'm telling you, this is not safe."

As the vaccine continued to gain acceptance across the country, another vocal critic, Rev. John Williams, took to the pulpit to warn of the alleged dangers of mass vaccination. "We are being herded onto the 'tragedy' of the Salk shot," he declared to a packed church. "We must stand up against this medical monolith and reject the experimental treatments."

Meanwhile, health officials were left scrambling to address the growing public outcry, as reported cases of vaccine-induced illness began to rise. As the nation's top medical leaders struggled to counter the growing misinformation, Dr. Salk himself was quick to respond. "The science is on our side," he said in a recent press conference. "We are confident that our vaccine will do more good than harm."

Despite this reassurance, anti-vaxxers remained resolute in their claims of a government-led conspiracy, citing the supposedly "mysterious" circumstances surrounding the vaccine's development and distribution.

As the debate over the new vaccine continues to rage, one thing is certain: the battle over public health will not be won by the voices of reason, but by the loudest and most fervent of critics. The true story of Salk's menance is just beginning to emerge – stay tuned for further updates.

Can anyone find independent reports of this massive celebration for the announcement of the results of the Francis Field Trial in 1955?

Edit: Found a Wiki summary

RFK and conspiracy thinking right alongside Luigi are ALL symptoms indicating the same problem: a health care system that enriches CEOs at the bankruptcy and death of the masses.

At base it’s like the Hepatitis C cure when it rolled out. A $ amount is put on this cure, only X number of people get it each month, up to a certain $ amount across all claimants, and the rest are SOL. Healthcare itself is like that. We did 18 NICU babies already this month, or we did 32 cardiac cath procedures this month, time to delay, deny, defend.

Wouldn’t it be cool if you could figure a way around needing that healthcare? If you could do 6 simple steps that are entirely under your own power, cheaply or for free, and fix your health on your own? What a dream that would be. This need for health independence is as predictable as a Luigi.

RFK is like a cherry on the shit sundae of our present system. He’s symbolic of the need for something other that we can maybe have more control over. Unfortunately, drinking raw milk has a higher potential of adding more problems.

I kinda suspect that shared joy might repeat if a cancer vaccine was revealed.

We didn't collectively suffer long enough from COVID for its vaccine to be universally embraced...