Nothing in the history of medicine is likely to have saved more lives than vaccines

Polio. Hepatitis A/B. Diphtheria. Tetanus. Pertussis. Haemophilus influenza. Pneumococcus. Rotavirus. Variola (smallpox). Varicella (chickenpox). Measles. Mumps. Rubella. Meningococcus. HPV. Seasonal influenza.

And now, COVID-19.

Because of human nature, we tend to overvalue treatments of active disease rather than those that prevent disease in the first place. Every one of us would undoubtedly know someone personally who would have suffered or died from one of the listed diseases if not for vaccination.

But since we couldn’t see the vaccine save our sibling from the grips of smallpox, or our child from the paralyzing effects of polio, we don’t have as much of a personal or individual appreciation for them.

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The lives saved by vaccines have no faces and no names, so we have no memory of them. We walk in to get a vaccine in no imminent, life-threatening danger, and we walk out with a sore arm. And as a result, understandably, we take these life-saving doses for granted.

But the truth is, along with the advent of antibiotics, nothing in the history of medicine is likely to have saved more lives or livelihoods than vaccines

The onus then falls on the rest of us to shine a light on what isn’t readily visible. To remind us of what is so easily forgotten. To counter our human nature of focusing on the here and now by revisiting what also happened there and then.

So in the face of a pandemic of disease and an epidemic of ignorance, I urge you to choose instead to celebrate science. Preach science. Teach science. And support science.

Because today is just another example of how much science supports us.

Ahmed Hassan, neurocritical care physician, Naperville

Oberweis is acting like Trump, losing like Trump

If there was one person on the planet not to emulate, it would be Donald Trump.

But defeated 14th Congressional candidate Jim Oberweis has chosen “The Donald” as his beacon for unseating his victor, Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., who was sworn in and is working hard for her 718,000 constituents. Oberweis perseveres in trying to undo her clearly fair and valid election.

Oberweis claims “thousands of illegal votes were counted.” Sound familiar? Oberweis offered up a tweet from a Kenosha resident who claimed he voted for Underwood. Sound familiar?

Running out of state appeals, Oberweis hurled his last “Hail Mary,” asking the U.S. House to simply overturn the election and hold a new election on April 6, date of the Illinois consolidated election. Sound familiar?

Ice cream magnet Oberweis will retire from the Illinois Senate next week.

He might consider going back to the Oberweis Dairy laboratory and concocting a new ice cream flavor. It would taste like sour grapes and be called “Sore Loser.”

Walt Zlotow, Glen Ellyn