While the past is immutable, our recollections can fade and be twisted by those who purposefully distort the facts.
One example of those currently distorting the facts is the legion of anti-vaxxers. Who needs a vaccine when we can drink a magic drink or hope for the best?
While researching a branch of my ancestry, I found this 1946 newspaper article. Polio ravaged the world until Dr. Jonas Salk created a vaccine in 1955 that was 90% effective in preventing paralytic polio. Its effectiveness is in the same range as the COVID-19 vaccines.
Why do people forget the past or allow themselves to be fooled by charlatans?
[Caveat: In rare cases, some people are hypersensitive to vaccines. This is why we sit around for 15 minutes after receiving a vaccine shot.]