Category: Pints for Polio

Polio Update: October 10, 2024

Door to door vaccinations in Pakistan

Four new cases of Polio in Pakistan, plus 50 positive environmental samples. Did you know that most cases of Polio are asymptomatic? Only 1 in 200 cases result in Paralysis. Four paralyzed children means 800 children were infected by Polio.

What is going on in Pakistan? All of the cases occurred in remote areas along the Afghanistan border. It is difficult for vaccination teams to reach these areas and it is also unsafe. Vaccination teams and medical professionals have faced harassment and even physical attacks in some parts of Pakistan. In addition, the border is porous so people cross back and forth between Pakistan and Afghanistan. As a matter of fact, most of the cases in Pakistan have been traced to a variant that originated from Afghanistan.

Rotary and its partners have stepped up to fund 350,000 health workers who vaccinated 300 million children this year with a special emphasis on people crossing the border.

See more details here.

Polio Update – October 3, 2024

Vaccination rates have dropped in conflict areas where safe access to health care has been severely impacted. Hopefully, Rotary and its partners can help negotiate more temporary humanitarian cease fires or preferably a permanent end to the fighting.

Polio vaccination

Do you know what it means when a child has a purple pinky? During a polio immunization campaign, every child who is vaccinated has their left pinky finger painted purple, so the immunization teams know that child has received her vaccination. It is also a badge of honor for the child and their family because they know their child is safe from polio.

every child who is vaccinated has their left pinky finger painted purple

Read the detailed global polio update here.

Polio Eradication Update

Polio update - Pakistan and Afghanistan

The Good News:

  • 550,000 children were vaccinated during a humanitarian pause in fighting in Gaza
  • No polio found in the sewer samples in Afghanistan or Pakistan
  • Only 40 polio cases year to date
  • Rotary sponsored a social mobilization program in Pakistan to reach out to families that had previously refused polio vaccinations. As a result of the confidence gained among these families, 5,000 previously unvaccinated children were immunized against polio.

The Bad News:

  • 3 new cases of wild polio reported in Pakistan
  • Afghanistan bans door to door vaccinations

Read a more detailed update here.

Join the PolioPlus Society

Rotarians and partners around the world maintain our dedication to END POLIO. Polio has been in the news a lot lately. And not in good ways:

  • With war raging, a 10-month-old child contracted polio in Gaza. There had not been a polio case in 25 years. A two-round vaccination campaign began on September 1 during a humanitarian pause in the war. Rotary has committed US$500,000 to support this initiative through our continuing partnership with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
  • As of Sept 18, 2024, Pakistan has reported 17 cases of polio this year. Enormous political issues complicate vaccination efforts.
  • Reported on September 16, 2024: the Taliban in Afghanistan has suspended polio vaccination campaigns there. The World Health Organization has confirmed 18 polio cases in Afghanistan this year (up from 6 cases in 2023).

Rotary, together with the Global Polio Eradication Effort, will not stop until this crippling and sometimes deadly disease is eliminated. Right now, we really need your donations.

EVERY dollar donated to PolioPlus is generously matched 2:1 by the Gates Foundation.

The PolioPlus Society was founded right here in District 5110 in 2012-13 by Harriet Schloer of the Rotary Club of Bend High Desert. PolioPlus Society members commit to donating $100/year (or more) until polio is eradicated from the world. As of today, our District 5110 has 694 PolioPlus Society Members. Will you join us?

Joining is simple: complete this simple one-page form and return it to Jane Falls, jafalls@comcast.net, District PolioPlus Chair.

Then make it official by going to MyRotary.org, sign in, click Donate, select POLIO, choose the amount, frequency, and method of payment.

Pints for Polio @ Immersion Brewing

Many thanks to Immersion Brewing, one of the pubs sponsoring our Pints for Polio Pub walk this year!

Get a group of friends together, and join us Saturday March 3rd from 2PM-6PM for the Bend Pub Walk, to support Rotary’s efforts to eradicate polio worldwide. The pubs on our Pub Walk graciously donate the beer, which means most of your $25 goes to fight polio. Our only costs are the printed posters, the cups, and a little for credit card fees.

Enjoy 6 oz craft beer tasters at over a dozen of our local pubs, and take home a commemorative beer cup.

$25 prepaid online, or $30 at the door. Check-in is at Deschutes Brewery’s downtown pub, 1044 NW Bond Street.

Register here.

Post your pub walk photos on Instagram with tag #pintsforpolio

Pints for Polio @ Crux Fermentation Project

Many thanks to Crux Fermentation Project, one of the pubs sponsoring our Pints for Polio Pub walk this year!

Get a group of friends together, and join us Saturday March 3rd from 2PM-6PM for the Bend Pub Walk, to support Rotary’s efforts to eradicate polio worldwide. The pubs on our Pub Walk graciously donate the beer, which means most of your $25 goes to fight polio. Our only costs are the printed posters, the cups, and a little for credit card fees.

Enjoy 6 oz craft beer tasters at over a dozen of our local pubs, and take home a commemorative beer cup.

$25 prepaid online, or $30 at the door. Check-in is at Deschutes Brewery’s downtown pub, 1044 NW Bond Street.

Register here.

Post your pub walk photos on Instagram with tag #pintsforpolio

Pints for Polio Sponsor: Loren Polster


Many thanks to Loren Polster, one of our sponsors for our annual Pints for Polio Bend Pub Walk! Loren donated the design work for our posters for the event.

Get a group of friends together, and join us Saturday March 3rd from 2PM-6PM for the Bend Pub Walk, to support Rotary’s efforts to eradicate polio worldwide.

Enjoy 6 oz craft beer tasters at over a dozen of our local pubs, and take home a commemorative beer cup.

$25 prepaid online, or $30 at the door. Check-in is at Deschutes Brewery’s downtown pub, 1044 NW Bond Street.

Register here.

Post your pub walk photos on Instagram with tag #pintsforpolio

Pints for Polio Sponsor: Visual Itineraries


Many thanks to Visual Itineraries, one of our sponsors for our annual Pints for Polio Bend Pub Walk!

Get a group of friends together, and join us Saturday March 3rd from 2PM-6PM for the Bend Pub Walk, to support Rotary’s efforts to eradicate polio worldwide.

Enjoy 6 oz craft beer tasters at over a dozen of our local pubs, and take home a commemorative beer cup.

$25 prepaid online, or $30 at the door. Check-in is at Deschutes Brewery’s downtown pub, 1044 NW Bond Street.

Register here.

Post your pub walk photos on Instagram with tag #pintsforpolio

Pints for Polio Sponsor: TCHEM Consulting


Many thanks to Jeff Tilley, TCHEM Consulting, one of our sponsors for our annual Pints for Polio Bend Pub Walk!

Get a group of friends together, and join us Saturday March 3rd from 2PM-6PM for the Bend Pub Walk, to support Rotary’s efforts to eradicate polio worldwide.

Enjoy 6 oz craft beer tasters at over a dozen of our local pubs, and take home a commemorative beer cup.

$25 prepaid online, or $30 at the door. Check-in is at Deschutes Brewery’s downtown pub, 1044 NW Bond Street.

Register here.

Post your pub walk photos on Instagram with tag #pintsforpolio