To the editor:

My sister contracted polio in 1949, when she was 6 years old. She was lucky because she survived. She has had to wear a leg brace ever since. She has missed out on most things that we all take for granted — running, dancing, walking on a sandy beach, and many, many other activities. The vaccine became available in the U.S. in 1955, making our country polio-free since 1979.

The polio vaccine is just one of many vaccines that have made us safe from illnesses. We are so fortunate that there are vaccines now for tetanus, hepatitis A and B, rubella, red measles, Pertussis, pneumococcal disease, mumps, chickenpox, diphtheria, to name just some. Add the coronavirus vaccines to that list. I’ve been fully immunized and feel very fortunate that I haven’t gotten COVID. The thought of dying in a hospital with tubes down my throat is just horrible. I cannot understand the people who can get vaccinated but refuse to do so. Not only are they risking their own lives, but also the lives of everyone they’re in contact with. What will it take to convince these people?

Janis Beatty

Saranac Lake