My first thread: the promise by @POTUS re: #vaccines reminds me that this month marks 20 years since the death of my great uncle, Joseph Melnick, below (dead center) among Eleanor Roosevelt, Albert Sabin, Jonas Salk, and others ( https://images.app.goo.gl/FiEkdsoSndwvDiRUA, h/t @Wikipedia ). . . 1/6

Even though I barely knew Dr. Melnick (I'm not sure why - perhaps his relationship with his older brother Daniel, my grandfather, was strained, and perhaps @Ted_Melnick can shed some light on this?), I'm awed by his contributions to the fight against infectious disease. . . 2/6

His accolades are too many to list here, but among them, while at @bcmhouston, he was the lead investigator on the preclinical trial that established the superiority of the oral polio #vaccine developed by Albert Sabin over that developed by Hilary Koprowski. . . 3/6

I feel tremendous gratitude toward Dr. Melnick and generations of scientists and #clinicaltrial participants who have helped make diseases such as polio a distant memory. It is a privilege to have my children get vaccinated against #HPV and my parents against #SARSCoV2. . . 4/6

With newly available safe and effective #vaccines, a significant barrier to eradication of infectious diseases moving forward is vaccine hesitancy. I'm not entirely sure how (ideas, @ShotsHeard?), but part of our job as medical professionals is to allay patient fears. . . 5/6

Doing so will help us to move past the current #pandemic, alleviate widespread suffering, and honor the legacy of those who, like Dr. Melnick, worked so hard to get us to this point. fin