But I remember the many children in my neighborhood who were not vaccinated. Those early experiences of children I knew contracting disease, especially the poliovirus that is so visibly impairing, shaped my views on the immense value of good health and the power of vaccines.

Back then in the early 1930 s there was no vaccine for this highly infectious disease. With good reason, parents everywhere were terrified that poliovirus would reach their doorstep like a plague striking a child and causing irreversible paralysis in a matter of hours, or, worse, death in a matter of days.

Given the progress made in expanding vaccination programs in recent years, this revelation represents a unique opportunity for the global community, particularly as we begin to close the lid on polio. With poliovirus now endemic in just three remaining countries, we are already beginning to use the momentum that has carried eradication efforts so far to broaden the scope of routine immunization to reach more of the poorest children.