5/18/26

Aloha Sunsetters, 

Last Week’s Highlights

Mahalo to everyone who joined us last Thursday for a timely and fascinating program from our very own Dr. Skip Suzuki. Dr. Skip reviewed the history of vaccines and their importance in increasing human lifespan through prevention of serious infectious diseases.

He also highlighted an important local concern: Hawaiʻi’s vaccination rate is lower than desired, with religious exemptions being a leading reason. This has meaningful implications for community health—especially in a state with constant travel and close-knit communities.

 A summary provided by Dr. Skip is included at the end of this message.

This Week: No Regular Meeting (Dark)

Please note: we are dark this week, but we will be serving our community through a service project at The Pantry: Feeding Hawaiʻi Together.

 Service Project – The Pantry
 Wednesday, May 20
 11:30 AM start
(Lead: Mike Kass)

 Upcoming Calendar

• May 20 – Service Project at The Pantry, 11:30 AM (Lead: Mike Kass)
• May 21 – No Meeting – Memorial Day Weekend
• May 28 – No Meeting – Social to be announced
• June 4 – Board Meeting 5:00 PM + Regular Meeting 6:30 PM (WYC)

 Rotary District Conference – Oʻahu (Aug 21–22)

Please save the date for the Rotary District Conference, happening August 21–22 right here on Oʻahu. Early bird registration has been extended through the end of this month. Details and registration:
https://rotaryd5000.org/events/2026-rotary-district-conference/

Dr. Skip Suzuki – Vaccine Summary

THE SUMMARY OF MY PRESENTATION ON IMMUNIZATION ON 5/14/2026

People were expected to live for 40 years in 1900 but for almost 80 years on average nowadays,.. thanks to Improved hygiene and improved medicine must have contributed to this, but also immunization has undeniably played a major role.

Imagine..throughout entire human history, people were devastated with epidemic infections such as smallpox, plague, cholera, etc wiping out 30 to 50% of their community. Epidemics repeated every so many years. All they could do was praying and burning bon-fires in the street. Isolation was only a helpful thing. Wearing a mask was found also effective during Spanish flu, but not before like medieval times. 

Edward Jenner brought the first vaccine in 1750 preventing smallpox.

The second vaccine did not come till 1940 then, others started one after another. You now take it for granted that all newborns survive to adulthood but this is the result of immunization preventing diphtheria, measles and others.

In 1900, only 7 out of 10 newborn survived to the age of 7 years then to adult age, 3 out of 10 newborn were weeded out by age of 7 years. Parents in Japan are grateful to see their children surviving to those age milestones like 3 years, 5 years and 7 years taking dressed-up children to Shrines to thank Gods for their survival in celebrating 7-5-3 or Shichi-Go-San" in November. 

The success of vaccines has ironically brought vaccine refusal causing outbreaks. When vaccine refusers bring the infection after oversea-travel back to communities with low herd immunity, outbreaks occur. Infections love the crowded stadiums, packed flights and cruise boats. The outbreaks were caused by measles, whooping cough and chickenpox.

Since 1988, globally $ 20 Billion has been spent for Polio eradication, $3 Billion by Rotary Foundation alone. Polio cases declined steadily till 2015 since then, we heard Polio eradication is anytime soon although regional wars are interfering the campaign.

Because we have to use oral live vaccines, we need to tolerate the vaccine-derived Polio caused by the virus regaining virulence. This is a part of the reason why Polio eradication is dragging.

Hawaii has Measles vaccine rate of 89% is inadequate as well as 92.5% of the US mainland.

Hawaii has a high rate of vaccine-waiver based on religion and personal belief. We need to challenge the waiver seriously. In order to keep Herd immunity, vaccines are regarded as an obligation to his community. Vaccine has lost advocacy as shot-giving hand transited to Pharmacists from Pediatricians.

Rare risks of vaccines, one or two out of a million doses are serous one like anaphylaxis, Guilan Barre, etc. but unfortunate victims are well protected by governmental law. Nothing is risk free. Parents refusing vaccines to their children contracting infection can be regarded as child negligence. 

 MitsuakSuzuki, MD

Mahalo for your continued service, fellowship, and aloha. Hope to see many of you at The Pantry on May 20!

Yours in Rotary,
Daniel Murariu