by Annette Pinder

During a time of widespread confusion about vaccine eligibility and unclear guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control regarding the safety of vaccines that have already gone through extensive clinical trials, grandparents are stepping forward to share their own past experiences.

A recent article titled “Why Grandparents Must Lead on Vaccines” in The Progressive Magazine states, “Many of today’s parents, having never witnessed the devastating effects of polio or whooping cough, are being lulled into a dangerous complacency. But we grandparents remember—and our grandkids are counting on us.” The article recalls a time when vaccines were not available and when serious, sometimes deadly illnesses changed lives and stole futures.

I also remember having had measles, mumps, chickenpox, and German measles. I recall my beautiful cousin, who was confined to a wheelchair for her entire life because of polio. I am aware of famous people who survived polio, including actors Alan Alda, Mia Farrow, and Mel Ferrer; singers Joni Mitchell and Neil Young; President Franklin D. Roosevelt; and film director Francis Ford Coppola. I also remember children on crutches, struggling to breathe inside iron lungs, or deaf from post-measles infections.

Now, as a grandparent, I am excited to learn about the “Grandparents for Vaccines Project,” a volunteer-led effort where older adults share their personal experiences with vaccine-preventable diseases to raise awareness and encourage immunization. The initiative is driven by grandparents who remember illnesses like polio, measles, and whooping cough, which, until now, have been rare thanks to widespread vaccination. But we now face the risk of these diseases returning. In 2024-25, only 92.1% of U.S. kindergartners were fully vaccinated against COVID-19. We are seeing a measles outbreak across multiple states and increasing cases of whooping cough. Grandparents for Vaccines has several objectives: To educate younger generations, share personal stories, boost vaccine confidence, and protect public health. The grassroots organization officially launched last month, coinciding with National Grandparents Day, and works with public health organizations to spread its message through various events and campaigns. So, if you’re one of the nation’s 67 million grandparents, and you are concerned about the return of these infectious diseases, consider sharing your wisdom with young families, preschools, and communities. And let them know that if they are unsure about vaccine recommendations, they can refer to the American Academy of Pediatrics’ childhood immunization schedule at https://downloads.aap.org/AAP/PDF/AAP-Immunization-Schedule.pdf.

The Progressive Magazine, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and The Grandparents for Vaccines Project remind us that our grandkids are counting on us and that vaccines are safe and effective. Not only do they protect our grandchildren against serious diseases and their transmission, but they also safeguard all of us. Learn more and sign up to help at https://grandparentsforvaccines.com.