Dr. David Hannan provided us an update last week on Rotary's Global Polio Eradication Initiative and the polio vaccination program in Gaza.
Opening and Invocation led by Michele McManus 
Wellness Report – everyone reports being healthy!
Guests: Mason Leone, guest of Karen Hoad
Announcements:
- Dave Christler - needs members for the Community Service Committee - please see him.
- Dave Christler - need volunteers to help with the Rotary Salutes the Veterans in our community.
- Community Garden behind Perkins School - we need someone to oversee this project. Linda Werts will do some research to see where it stands.
- We need photographers for the weekly meetings and some events.
- John Zornow - 9/28 Board of Elections will have a voter registration day located at their office 7376 State Route 31, Suite 1200, Lyons
- Arcadia Museum - move “It’s a Mad, Mad World” showing on Wednesday, 9/25 at the Ohman Theater
Happy Moments:
- Adam O. just returned from a trip to Great Britain. He had a great time and experienced wonderful hospitality.
- Josh McCrossen is predicting that the Bills will win 3 in row!
- Gary Reilly - 11/1 at Club 86 the annual Camp ONSEYAWA dinner. He will be selling raffle tickets soon - $5.00/ticket for 3 for $12
- President Jim read a thank you note from Susan Kuprix of the St. Marks Baby Closet for our $500 donation
Club Anniversaries: Brian Manktelow, 5 years
Queen of Hearts Steve Mooney did not pick the Queen - the pot continues to grow.
Program: Steve Hallagan introduced our own PDG (Past District Governor) David Hannan. Dave is currently the District Foundation Chair. Fun Fact: he and President Jim were classmates and swam together in the 440 relay on the Newark High School Swim Team - holding the school record at that time and were Section 5 Champs. Jim was the starter and Dave the anchor!
Dave Hannan spoke to us regard the Polio Plus project - the signature project of Rotary International since 1985.
Today, 19 million people who would otherwise be paralyzed by polio are walking, and 1.5 million people who would otherwise have died are alive. If all eradication efforts stopped today, within 10 years, polio could paralyze as many as 200,000 children each year. A polio free world will be a healthier world for children everywhere.
PDG Dave Hannan explained the difference between the original Wild Polio Virus (WPV) verses “circulating Vaccine Derived Polio Virus (cVDPV). He reminded us that there is no cure for either Polio Virus - our only defense is vaccination.
He also explained that the Rotary Polio Plus project utilizes the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) which is a live virus vaccine. It is highly effective, easy to administer in Third World Countries and also provide a “secondary immunization” as it can be transmitted from a vaccinated person to a non vaccinated person.
In the United States we use an “Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) which is administered through injections. It does not provide any secondary immunization.
Status as of today: There are still some live Polio viruses in Afghanistan, Pakistan (Malawi, Mozambique - due to travel through Afghanistan or Pakistan). There have been cVDPV cases found in Africa and Southwest Asia. There is always risk of cVDPV wherever IOV is administered. Rotary has found by training local people to administer the vaccines rather than send in Rotarians from outside of the region targeted has a much higher success rate.
A significant by-product of the Polio Plus effort sponsored by Rotary and other non-profit organizations and foundations is that it has produced a world wide public health infrastructure.
Side note regarding the recent case in Gaza resulting in a cease-fire to address: that area is vulnerable to the Polio virus because there are many unvaccinated individuals. It was probably transmitted there through a virus mutation or asymptomatic travelers. It created an urgency to address because it can spread quickly particularly among vulnerable children under the age of 5. The only way to stop the spread is through vaccination. Through the World Health Organization a cease fire was declared and they were able to vaccinate a greater than 90% of the under 5 population with a “novel oral polio vaccine” to target the mutated strain.
Ways to help: participate in the Every Rotarian Every Year campaign and donate $15.00 annually to Polio Plus. Learn more about polio eradication at PolioEradication.org