We only have two countries right now. It's Afghanistan and Pakistan that still have polio, and our mission is to go out and vaccinate 12.6 million children in countries around the world to help eliminate the polio virus
The Elkhart Rotary Club coming together to raise funds to help those in need of the polio vaccination.
While the disease has been eradicated in America, Elkhart Rotary Club District governor elect Terri Rickel says as long as the disease exists, even on the other side of the world, everyone is at risk.
"It's only an airplane flight away from America, if someone would come to America and have it. If someone hasn't been vaccinated, they can get that horrific disease and become paralyzed. In some individuals, young children, are the individuals that normally get it and they die from that disease," Rickel said.
Rickel adding that the polio vaccine not only helps stop the disease, it can protect those in need against multiple others, making it even more crucial to get.
"It's not only the polio vaccination, but in that polio vaccination today, it also can cover other it can prevent measles, diphtheria, hepatitis B. So there's other parts of that vaccination that helps," Rickel said.
She says by making sure children do not get impacted by polio everyone benefits.
"By vaccinating, it does save the world money healthcare costs. So the more people that are vaccinated from this disease in those countries, the less it will cost in the long run," Rickel said.
The funds raised by the club will be matched 2 to 1 by the Gates Foundation.