This March, we’re celebrating Women’s History Month with the theme of providing healing and promoting hope. This observance gives us a chance to recognize the achievements and contributions of women in many areas of life, particularly in the advancement of science and medicine. While we can hardly go a day in 2022 without hearing about the impact of COVID-19 and the effectiveness of the vaccines, there was a time when the only available treatments for certain illnesses weren’t as effective.
Two women who changed the world through science were Pearl Kendrick and Grace Eldering. They conducted research at Michigan’s Department of Health to find an effective vaccine for Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough. Despite insufficient funding amid the Great Depression, they gained valuable information that helped to develop a standard for diagnostic tools and improve other vaccines. Kendrick and Eldering became the first to successfully conduct a large-scale controlled clinical trial of the pertussis vaccine. Children were able to receive the vaccine by 1940, and cases and deaths caused by pertussis declined.
Today’s scientific advancements amid the COVID-19 pandemic have saved lives and allowed us to begin a return to normalcy. This past month, I went on a weekend family trip feeling ready to spend some time together after almost three years without regular in-person gatherings. While we were excited, we also felt some underlying concerns about keeping ourselves and each other safe. Knowing we were coming from different households and would be interacting with workers at various places along our trip, we wanted to be cautious. We all took COVID-19 tests before the trip and reminded each other to wash our hands often, practice physical distancing, and remember to bring and wear masks. I’m happy to report we were all able to enjoy the trip and spend some time together after the challenges of the last couple of years.
On another occasion, I recently attended a close friend’s birthday celebration and a mutual friend mentioned he might get the vaccine since he wanted to go bowling. We asked why he had not taken the vaccine yet, and he explained his concerns about how fast it was developed and uncertainty about how it would affect other people. We talked about the benefits of the vaccine and how it protected us from COVID-19 despite minor side effects. We also discussed how this type of vaccine has been studied for almost 20 years but was made available to the public quicker during the public health emergency of the pandemic.
As we wait for news about the availability of vaccines for children under the age of five, my hope is that we continue to get vaccinated and boosted, find ways to celebrate, and cherish the lives, hopes and dreams of everyone while helping our communities through this season. With spring on the horizon, I’m looking forward to enjoying warmer weather and continuing to find new ways for our community to connect.
Sincerely,
Cassandre
PHMC Community Engagement VISTA
