As an infant in a small Brazilian town, now Birmingham resident Dr. Isabel Scarinci was diagnosed with polio. She received the first vaccine dose, but her pediatrician recommended that she hold off on completing the vaccine series due to a separate illness. The polio epidemic occurred, and she was infected with the virus. Dr. Scarinci still walks with a limp to this day.
Her personal experience and determination have made her the most suitable person to take on the challenge of helping Alabama’s most vulnerable communities. Read on to learn how she does it.
For Dr. Isabel Scarinci, it’s personal
As Vice Chair of the Global and Rural Health Program in UAB’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr. Isabel Scarinci has dedicated her career to educating the community on eliminating the preventable disease of cervical cancer. Scarinci has become an evangelist for immunizing against human papillomavirus (HPV).
HPV is a sexually transmitted virus that causes multiple cancers, including cervical cancer. Alabama is ranked third in the nation for mortality related to cervical cancer. The ranking is a hard pill to swallow considering the disease is treatable when caught early and, more importantly, avoidable through proper preventative care…