A car parade of enthusiastic Rotarians circled Delta Hospital Wednesday evening as service club members paid tribute to health care workers and marked World Immunization Week.
Rotarians from clubs in Ladner, Tsawwassen and North Delta decorated their vehicles with signs of support and balloons to create a caravan that circled the hospital twice with horns honking. Delta police cruisers also look part in the parade.
World Immunization Week, April 24 to 30, is a time to recognize the importance of vaccines and how far the world has come in fighting disease.
Rotary has been instrumental in the worldwide fight to eradicate polio.
When Rotary launched its campaign 35 years ago, there were 350,000 cases reported every year in 122 countries, but by 2019 there were less than 200 cases in just two countries. Each year, Rotary and partners vaccinate more than 400 million children against polio.
“Many people around the world, including several from Delta, have helped administer vaccine to many millions of people in the fight to end polio, sometimes at great risk to their health and safety,” said Bridget Jacob, president of the Rotary Club of Ladner, on behalf of presidents of all three Rotary clubs in Delta. “For that reason, we always have tremendous respect for our healthcare workers here at home, but especially now, during this pandemic.”
