Adults should help protect kids from Covid and get themselves vaccinated

Editor:

As a former Orleans County public health nurse, I am concerned (like everybody else) about the Covid epidemic and the rising rate of cases in Orleans County.

I am especially worried for the elementary children, who will start school soon. They are not eligible to get their vaccine yet, and are therefore not protected. Our fully vaccinated rate is 45%, not even half of the population. August 16th the Pfizer vaccine was fully approved.

This is a good time to get your vaccine. The vaccine is available at pharmacies in Orleans County. The vaccine is free to you. There are no lines anymore either. Public Health also does vaccines on Thurs, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

More children are getting sick from the Delta variant.  Please take the time soon to get your vaccine.

Thank you,

Rosanne Golden Leach and co-signed by Robert and Margaret Golden, Sister Dolores Ann O’Dowd, Gerard Morrisey, Grace and Gary Kent.

When I sent this letter to my brother to sign I remembered that our father wrote a letter to the editor at the beginning of the school year also. It was when I started kindergarten in 1947.

It was also a letter concerning personal responsibility to protect  ourselves and others, especially little children when they start school. He was a captain in the police force in my hometown  and the letter was asking people to be careful driving  and watch for children.

Here’s that letter, which was printed locally in Elmira, NY, 9/6/47, but then traveled all over the country and was still being reprinted decades later, even in the Albion Advertiser 9/3/75.

It still applies today as does my plea for getting vaccinated and protecting children and their teachers and our health care workers:

Dad’s letter:

Dear Driver,

A few weeks ago, I saw a little girl struck by a car as she tried to cross the street. I saw a father race toward her and hold her to him as she struggled in the agony of death. I saw all the plans that have been made for her dashed and saw he look of despair that came over his face. I could only offer a prayer that such a thing might never happen again.

Today, my daughter, who is 6 years old, started off to school. Her cocker spaniel, whose name is Scoot, watched her leave and whined his belief in the folly of education.

Tonight we talked about school. She told me about the girl who sits in front of her, a girl with yellow curls, and about the boy across the aisle, who makes faces, about the teacher who has eyes in the back of her head, about the trees in the school yard and the big girl who does not believe in Santa Claus.

We talked about a lot of things—tremendously vital and unimportant things.

Now, as this is written, she is sound asleep with her doll “Paddy” in her arms.

When her doll gets broken or finger gets cut or her head gets bumped, I can fix them. But when she starts off to school—when she starts across the street—then Mr. or Mrs. Driver, she is in your hands.

Much as I wish I could, it’s not possible for me to be with her all the time. I have to work to pay for her home, her clothes and her education.

SO MR. DRIVER, please help me to look out for her. Please drive carefully. Please drive slowly past schools and at intersections. And please remember that sometimes children run from between parked cars.

Please don’t run over my little girl.

With deep thanks for whatever you can do for her, I am

Very sincerely yours,

A Father

Thank you,

Rosanne Golden Leach

Kent