It must have been 10 years ago that I interviewed a dermatologist for a story and was told “they” were very close to developing a cold sore (herpes) vaccination. This came as good news for me because I’ve been plagued by them since age two and feel at this point that I’ve gotten all I can out of the experience. So what happened? I’ve seen Denavir and Valtrex come along and they have certainly helped but where’s the permanent fix?
“They” always seem to be so close to finding a cure or vaccination or inoculation or promising treatment but where are they? A couple of years ago my son was diagnosed with Diabetes (a story for another day) and as soon as I heard the news all I could think about was Mary Tyler Moore on TV saying “We’re so close…” (to finding a cure for Diabetes) since the 60’s and though I’m a fan of hers I felt like slapping her until my arms got tired.
People like Jerry Lewis and Danny Thomas have spent their entire adult lives campaigning for muscular dystrophy and for the St. Jude Research Center and God bless them for their efforts, but in my lifetime I’ve seen very few diseases cured. Sure in many cases treatment options are better but all the big ones are still out there with others coming along all the time. The last thing anyone needs is false hope. Whether it’s a cold sore or cancer please don’t keep telling us how close you are because I’m just not buying it any more.