As a child, I spent a lot of time with my mother’s cousin Dolly. I remember seeing childhood pictures of Dolly running through her yard. That was before she contracted the polio virus. Sadly, there was no polio vaccine for Dolly at the time. Dolly spent the rest of her life in a wheelchair and lived with disfigured hands.
My generation, and those after me, has been fortunate to be spared of many diseases due to the development of successful vaccines. Dolly was one of the many who suffered from debilitating diseases before effective vaccines were created. Unfortunately, polio and other horrific diseases still exist in the world today, and a number of them — even some considered eradicated in the U.S. — are returning among the unvaccinated at an alarming rate.
During public health crises, trust in leadership is critical. Unfortunately, during the Biden administration, a public health crisis turned into a political movement, undermining trust in medical institutions. Public health officials and leaders, rather than sticking to science, allowed politics to dictate some erroneous and misleading messaging.
After what we all experienced from the Biden administration, it’s understandable why some have concerns when they hear the word “vaccine.” Sweeping mandates, suppression of debate, and shifting narratives only deepened skepticism, eroding trust in our medical institutions. But it’s important to recognize the difference between the COVID-19 vaccines — which were developed with a newly developed technology under emergency conditions — and long-established immunizations, such as those for measles, polio, and tetanus, which have been rigorously studied for decades and remain among the safest, most effective medical advancements in history.
One should be assured that vaccine injuries, while concerning, are actually extremely rare. People have been using vaccines for hundreds of years. Childhood vaccines are some of the safest and most beneficial medical preventive interventions known to man.
The benefits of vaccines, both to individuals and communities — are difficult to overstate. One study estimated that worldwide vaccination saved more than 150 million lives over the last 50 years. That’s 3 million lives a year saved. Other than widespread availability of clean drinking water, vaccines have improved human life expectancy more than any other breakthrough in history.
According to healthychildren.org, childhood vaccines consistently remain at very high and beneficial levels of safety and efficacy.
Even though we’ve made incredible progress in eradicating dangerous diseases from the developed world over the last 80 years, we can’t get complacent now. The polio virus, for example, is still a very real threat to the unvaccinated. Rotary International has been working diligently for decades to vaccinate globally in an attempt to eradicate polio completely. Its work is far from over, and I don’t want any child to suffer the way mom’s cousin Dolly suffered. But if vaccination rates decline, then many will. This would be a needless, avoidable tragedy.
Declining vaccination rates also pose a threat to our healthcare system. A resurgence of otherwise avoidable infections puts a greater burden on our hospitals and our medical infrastructure in general.
Declining vaccination rates could even become a threat to national security. If fewer and fewer people get vaccinated, then a resurgence of preventable diseases could threaten to shut down our country, just like we saw during the pandemic. Sadly, we are already witnessing what’s unfolding in Texas with the worst measles outbreak in more than 30 years — and tragically, it has already claimed the life of a young child.
Decisions made between a patient and his doctor are always based on benefits versus risks, with both being addressed. Our public health components should deliver honest, data-driven statistics and make them available to physicians, the very physicians who see you as a patient, know you, and are armed with knowledge and personal compassion for the best health of you and your children.
RFK JR. ADVISER WANTS FDA TO REVOKE APPROVAL FOR POLIO AND HEPATITIS B VACCINES
Leadership at the Department of Health and Human Services matters. Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has the opportunity to restore public trust. His leadership can help shift our public health system away from coercion and toward a model of clear, honest communication — giving Americans the trusted information they need to make informed medical decisions with confidence.
We should never hesitate to take the opportunity to discuss our health concerns with our healthcare providers. At the same time, let’s smartly do everything we can to prevent a resurgence of debilitating diseases. It is always better to prevent a disease than to treat one after it occurs. We all can help in the effort to safely put dangerous diseases behind us.
Dr. Brad Wenstrup is a retired Army colonel and Iraq War veteran. He represented Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District from 2013 to 2025. He served as the co-chairman of the GOP Doctors’ Caucus from 2021 to 2025.