--- title: Mitch McConnell, Polio Victim, Defends Vaccine description: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a childhood victim of polio, spoke up in defense of vaccination Tuesday. canonical: https://time.com/3694254/mitch-mcconnell-polio-vaccines/ author: Alex Rogers article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-02-03T20:31:51.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T04:07:09.854Z article:section: Politics og:title: Republican Senate Leader, a Polio Victim, Backs Vaccines og:description: It left him unable to walk until age five. og:url: https://time.com/3694254/mitch-mcconnell-polio-vaccines/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0f5c62ea4bf33811/69877cc1e20a87778ea84d2c/mitch-mcconnell.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Mitch McConnell, John Cornyn og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Republican Senate Leader, a Polio Victim, Backs Vaccines twitter:description: It left him unable to walk until age five. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0f5c62ea4bf33811/69877cc1e20a87778ea84d2c/mitch-mcconnell.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Republican Senate Leader, a Polio Victim, Backs Vaccines > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=1f206452-1863-46cb-8f1f-c3baa90adea3&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | Subscribers | Open rate | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | 540,000 | 45.6% | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 430,000 | 50.7% | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | 240,000 | 54.1% | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 40,000 | 31.7% | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | 85,000 | 37.0% | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | 40,000 | 34.2% | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | 25,000 | 28.6% | Source: TIME, August 2026. Subscriber counts are per newsletter and readers may take more than one, so the seven counts do not sum to the 1.1 million+ unique newsletter audience. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Highest open rate | 54.1%, Health Matters | TIME, August 2026 | | Largest list | 540,000, The Brief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=1f206452-1863-46cb-8f1f-c3baa90adea3&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=1f206452-1863-46cb-8f1f-c3baa90adea3&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. by [Alex Rogers](https://time.com/author/alex-rogers/) ## Alex Rogers Feb 3, 2015 8:31 PM UTC  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., left, joined by Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas, meets with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 27, 2015, to discuss the status of the Keystone XL Pipeline bill, following their weekly policy luncheon. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., left, joined by Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas, meets with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 27, 2015, to discuss the status of the Keystone XL Pipeline bill, following their weekly policy luncheon. J. Scott Applewhite—AP by [Alex Rogers](https://time.com/author/alex-rogers/) ## Alex Rogers Feb 3, 2015 8:31 PM UTC Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday he supports the use of vaccinations to prevent diseases, drawing on his personal experience with polio, which he contracted as a two-year old. The issue has gained national attention as potential Republican presidential contenders debate the proper “balance” of parental choice and public health, as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie put it this week. “As a victim of polio myself I’m a big fan of vaccinations and if I were a parent who had a child … being subject to getting any particular disease I would come down on the side of vaccinations,” said McConnell. McConnell’s polio left him [unable to walk until he was five](http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2009/07/17/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-mitch-mcconnell). Once one of [the most-feared diseases](http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/10/16/162670836/wiping-out-polio-how-the-u-s-snuffed-out-a-killer) in the United States, polio infected tens of thousands of children at its height, killing or paralyzing thousands. A vaccine was introduced in 1955, eliminating the disease from the U.S. in 1979. The Republican Senate leader joined other prominent voices in his party who have spoken up in favor of vaccination since a measles outbreak led to Christie’s comments. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal [also argued in favor](http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/rubio-jindal-latest-weigh-vaccine-debate-n299496) of vaccination Tuesday. Earlier in the day, House Speaker John Boehner said that “all children ought to be vaccinated.” As my [colleagues](http://time.com/3693977/2016-presidential-race-measles-chris-christie-rand-paul-hillary-clinton/) have reported, the scientific consensus overwhelmingly supports widespread vaccinations to protect the public from harmful diseases. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3694254/mitch-mcconnell-polio-vaccines/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3694254/mitch-mcconnell-polio-vaccines/"},"headline":"Republican Senate Leader, a Polio Victim, Backs Vaccines","datePublished":"2015-02-03T20:31:51.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T04:07:09.854Z","description":"Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a childhood victim of polio, spoke up in defense of vaccination Tuesday.","url":"https://time.com/3694254/mitch-mcconnell-polio-vaccines/","keywords":["Congress","Mitch McConnell","Vaccines","measles"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0f5c62ea4bf33811/69877cc1e20a87778ea84d2c/mitch-mcconnell.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alex Rogers","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/alex-rogers/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0f5c62ea4bf33811/69877cc1e20a87778ea84d2c/mitch-mcconnell.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Mitch McConnell, John Cornyn","caption":"Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., left, joined by Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas, meets with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 27, 2015, to discuss the status of the Keystone XL Pipeline bill, following their weekly po","creditText":"J. Scott Applewhite—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/congress/","name":"Congress"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3694254/mitch-mcconnell-polio-vaccines/","name":"Republican Senate Leader, a Polio Victim, Backs Vaccines"}}]}] ```