B12 THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE SUNDAY • SEPTEMBER 20, 2020 APATH FORWARD: Steven P. Dinkin Cheering for national unity with launch of COVID-19 vaccine Idon’t think of myself as Dr. Fauci’s prognosis the 1800s. A group of Ameri- confidence in government What a stark contrast to In 1979, the United acheerleader. But when it calls into question the time- cans actually formed their agencies like the Centers for the collective good will of States was declared polio- comes to Operation Warp line for nationwide vaccine very own Anti Vaccination Disease Control and Pre- the 1950s, when our country free. Speed, I’m enthusiastically distribution. He prescribes Society in 1879. vention and the Food and came together to fight polio. You see, as Americans, rooting for our government. this dose of reality: “People Last September, in a Drug Administration is The disease struck in the we’ve come together before. The goal of the initiative is are not always doing what New York Times article, Jan declining because they’re warm summer months, We’ve linked arms to fight a to produce and deliver 300 they should do to control Hoffman described anti- viewed as too political. with epidemics popping up public health crisis and find million doses of COVID-19 the spread of the virus, even vaccine sentiment as “a Today, according to a every few years. Most of the acure for diseases that once vaccines next year, with now. It was stunning to me byproduct of an internet recent Harris poll, 78 per- victims were children under seemed insurmountable. initial doses available as ... that in some states and humming with rumor and cent of Americans worry the age of 5 who recovered Division is not in our early as January. cities and counties, you misinformation; the back- that the eventual approval quickly. However, some national DNA. Quite the As long as science pre- would see television clips of lash against Big Pharma; of a coronavirus vaccine will suffered temporary or per- opposite. We’ve shown our vails — and standards for people crowded indoors at and an infatuation with be driven by politics. Skep- manent paralysis or even ability to cast aside politics safety and efficacy are bars, which is a super- celebrities that gives special ticism is bipartisan. The death. In 1954, 1.3 million and achieve single-minded- strictly adhered to — our spreading event if you ever credence to their anti- left-leaning Children’s U.S. children participated ness for the benefit of our country can only benefit as saw it.” immunization statements.” Health Defense, led by in a polio vaccine trial — an country. vaccines become widely He’s right. Maybe the Many so-called “anti- Robert F. Kennedy Jr., unimaginable number Now, in the simulta- available. And who among people who care about the vaxxers” have acted in attacks Dr. Fauci for rush- today. By August 1955, 4 neous battles against us isn’t champing at the bit well-being of others should response to a 1998 study by ing risky and uncertain million polio shots had been COVID-19 and societal for a return to pre-COVID go to the head of the vacci- Dr. Andrew Wakefield that COVID-19 vaccines into given. polarization, we can do it normal? I know I am. nation queue. And the linked the MMR (measles, development as part of a President Franklin D. again. It’s certainly worth a Now for the reality selfish ones could go to the mumps and rubella) vac- “sweetheart deal” with drug Roosevelt contracted polio shot. And something to check. Dr. Anthony Fauci, back of the line. cine with autism. While the companies. Meanwhile, at at the late age of 39, requir- cheer for. the director of the National Vaccines bring contro- study was later discredited, the other end of the politi- ing the use of a wheelchair. Institute of Allergy and versy. Emotions and deep- it set off a decline in MMR cal spectrum, many anti- That chair became a power- Dinkin is president of the National Infectious Diseases, said rooted beliefs — philoso- vaccination rates among vaccine conservatives op- ful symbol of patriotism for Conflict Resolution Center, a San recently that it’s going to be phical, religious and politi- kindergartners — to a point pose immunization require- American parents, who Diego-based group working to well into 2021 — maybe even cal — underlie vaccine that’s below the threshold ments because they dis- sought to vaccinate their create solutions to challenging toward the end of the year opposition, a phenomenon required for herd immunity. trust big government, advo- children to help eradicate issues, including intolerance and —before our cherished “old that dates back to the first Science has lost its au- cating instead for medical polio here and around the incivility. To learn about NCRC’s normal” makes a comeback. smallpox inoculations in thoritative voice. Public freedom. world. programming, visit ncrconline.com SCHOOLS TODAY IN Some deliver HISTORY paper packets To day is Sunday, Sept. 20, the 264th day of 2020. There are 102 days left in the year. FROM B1 allotted $2 million to the Today’s highlight county education office to pay for Internet access for On Sept. 20, 2017, Hurricane low-income families. The Maria, the strongest hurricane San Diego Foundation also to hit Puerto Rico in more than donated $1 million. 80 years, struck the island, Internet hotspots alone, wiping out as much as 75 though, won’t solve connec- tivity problems for all of ru- percent of the power distribu- ral East County, where data tion lines and causing an coverage is insufficient in island-wide blackout. areas containing valleys, mountains and deserts. On this date So the county education office is working with two In 1519, Portuguese explorer providers to provide satel- Ferdinand Magellan and his lite Internet access to stu- crew set out from Spain on dents in those areas. One of five ships to find a western the providers, Viasat, could passage to the Spice Islands. be deployed within the next (Magellan was killed en route, month or two; the other, but one of his ships eventually Starlink by SpaceX, won’t circled the world.) be available until 2021, Lof- tus said. In 1873, panic swept the floor “We’re trying to find solu- K.C. ALFRED U-T FILE PHOTO of the New York Stock Ex- tions that meet the need as Austin Correia hands a Chromebook to a parent waiting in a car at Morse High School in San Diego in April. change in the wake of railroad quickly as possible,” Loftus Due to high demand, some San Diego County school districts are still waiting for deliveries of Chromebooks. bond defaults and bank fail- said. ures. In the meantime, for stu- “Zoom meetings are im- received them this week, Internet is by satellite. ternet is either not available dents who don’t have Inter- portant, obviously, but Keeley said. “We have to do our ex- or it’s super expensive for In 1881, Chester A. Arthur was net access, districts have we’ve got to work with each The district has been ploring of this problem per- people. sworn in as the 21st president been distributing paper student where they’re at in- working to provide Internet son by person, student by “I had my IT guys litera- of the United States, succeed- packets and materials at dividually,” Keeley said. “It’s for about 150 families, or student, and family by fam- lly driving through our com- ing the assassinated James A. school meal distribution certainly not perfect, and roughly 10 percent of Moun- ily,” Keeley said. munity, trying to figure out Garfield. sites and delivering them to we’re certainly looking for- tain Empire Unified’s stu- At Jamul-Dulzura Union where those hotspots would students’ homes. ward to going back to some dents, who lack Internet ac- School District in East work and where they In 1958, Martin Luther King Jr. Alpine Union, where in-person instruction very cess. That’s not including County, 131 families asked wouldn’t.” was seriously wounded during roughly 10 percent of stu- soon.” families who may have insuf- for hotspots. But another 17 The district ordered 90 a book signing at a New York dents lacked Internet, has Mountain Empire Uni- ficient Internet speed or families live in outer valleys hotspots at the start of the City department store when he offered free Wi-Fi at all of its fied committed to distance data. where hotspots won’t work, pandemic, and it took was stabbed in the chest by schools and offered “learn- learning through Oct. 9. It The district bought 170 said Superintendent Liz months for them to be deliv- Izola Curry. (Curry was later ing pods” on campus for stu- can’t open sooner, partly be- hotspots using money from Bystedt. The district has 559 ered, Bystedt said. dents to learn together. cause, as a small district of the federal CARES Act but students. In the meantime, the dis- found mentally incompetent; Alpine and Mountain 1,700 students, it has taken a is still waiting for 20 of them. “Through the entire pan- trict opened its learning she died at a Queens, N.Y. , Empire also offer a home while for supplies to arrive. The hotspots won’t help all demic, it’s been difficult,” center and allows families to nursing home in 2015 at age school option for families For example, the district or- of the district’s families, Bystedt siad. “If you’ve ever use the guest Wi-Fi there.