Monday Open Line


Although the numbers have fallen sharply in the last few decades, still some people in the U.S. succumb to diseases that could have been prevented by immunization. Others experience pain, suffering and disability. That’s why this is National Immunization Awareness Month — highlighting the importance of vaccinations to a long and healthy life. The process of vaccination was known even in ancient cultures. Its most spectacular success came in the eradication of smallpox, a human scourge for thousands of years. The last known natural case was diagnosed in Somalia in 1977. In the U.S., more than 2,100 establishments manufacture medicines and pharmaceuticals in a $187 billion a year business. You can find more facts about America’s people, places and economy, from the American Community Survey, at <www.census.gov>.