Measles Parties

[susandennis]

In the 50's, we were vaccinated against Measles (Red, not German*), Chicken Pox, Mumps, Scarlet Fever and then Polio. The first three vaccines, I think, only mitigated the diseases cause we still got them. Outbreaks came in waves. Getting actual Chicken Pox, Mumps and Measles was inevitable.

The only control Moms had was when. This control was done in parties. Measles parties, Chicken Pox parties and less popular, Mumps parties. As soon as one of our friends got one of the three, we were sent over there to play in hopes that we'd get infected.

Once you got it and got over it, you were now truly immune. So our Moms wanted us to get it over with.

This sounds so incredible now. It does. But it happened.

Not so much with Mumps because the popular belief was that if your father got Mumps, there would be no more siblings.

I am only 66 years old. Every day someone tells me 'That's not old'. And really it's not but when I think of medical things (like Bobby Adams from 1st grade who got polio and had to live in an iron lung), I feel like I grew up in medieval times.

I'm still reading How to Be A Victorian - I'm still in the clothes section. She describes how fashions progressed through the years. A couple of times, she described fashion trends I know from my grandparents. And then I realize that my grandparents were born during the Victorian era. My grandparents all of whom lived until I was an adult.

That just amazes me. (Not depresses... not at all... just amazes me. I love that I've seen and remember so many things.)


*Red Measles is the measles you hear about today and German Measles is now known more commonly as Rubella

---

Today I need to do the Goodwill run 1st because I can't see out the back window until I get the stuff dropped off. So I'll do that on the way to the pool. And that's it for today's agenda.

Comments

[remlap.livejournal.com]

In the majority of the world (outside the west) people still suffer from these diseases - even Polio. There are outbreaks of this and worse all the time, so I guess many people still are living in the Victorian era?

[susandennis]

Measles are still happening here today. Not sure that means we're still in the Victorian era, tho :)

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

In the second grade, I had mumps, measles and chicken pox. I got them on my birthday, Easter and Christmas. I gave chicken pox to my sister and brother (only 6 months old at the time). I'm not sure how my mother got through that year, but when we were done, we were done.

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

I was a kid in the 70s and they were still having chicken pox parties then. My mom took me to every one that happened in the neighborhood and I never did catch chicken pox... of course, she never had it, either. She finally had a doctor tell her that I was likely naturally immune (which was a relief, because I was getting tired of playing with sick kids).

I had the measles vaccine and still managed to get measles when I was five (I have a copy of a picture I drew of myself then... or rather, my face, covered in red dots that I outlined in blue for some reason, with the caption "Hi mom! It is me!")

[springheel-jack.livejournal.com]

anti-vaxers are still doing these parties, only without the benefit of even a partially-effective vaccine. It's really quite dangerous.

Some of those same people recently brought a measles outbreak to Disneyland. Several children, not vaccinated, had to be hospitalized.

[susandennis]

Yep. And I think it was more than several. I kind of think you have every right not to vaccinate your children BUT if that is your choice, then you need to keep them in a closet at home forever.

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

Do we know it's from an anti-vaxer? I'm asking because I've found that most adults are ignorant that vaccines wear off. Last time I got a MMR booster they said it only lasts 7 or 10 years so most of the adult population would be overdue.

[susandennis]

All of the news reports I read noted that the affected were primarily children who had not ever been vaccinated.

[slinkslowdown.livejournal.com]

Came here to say exactly this.

Interesting

[spiritgirl.livejournal.com]

I'm about a decade behind you and I never knew anyone with measles or mumps. I supposedly had chicken pox twice which really makes me fear Shingles are coming! I was explaining to my kids about a friend of my sisters who was a "Thalidomide baby" which really seems to date me as officially old.....oh, and my son finds it horrific to think we had rectal thermometers!!!

Re: Interesting

[susandennis]

1. I don't know how old you need to be for a shingles vaccine but you might consider marking your calendar... that is one thing that even the idea of really gives me the heebie jeebies

2. OMG rectal thermometers. I never thought about kids these days getting off scott free from them! Hilarious! What torture they were. I always assumed my mother did it for punishment because my being sick made more work for her.

I'm with you son on this... horrific. Thanks for the reminder!!

Re: Interesting

[susandennis]

I'd also forgotten about thalidomide babies. That hit just after my brother was born. I remember Mom telling me she might well have taken it with him.

[rejectomorph]

I remember having had chicken pox and two kinds of measles, but I never got the mumps even though most of the other kids in my neighborhood got them sooner or later. That means I don't have immunity to mumps since I never got the vaccine either, although anybody who got only the early versions of the vaccine doesn't have immunity either. I don't think the mumps vaccine that confers lifelong immunity was developed until the 1970s.

I don't remember disease parties, but I doubt my mom would ever have sent me to one even if she knew about them. She didn't even like me to go to ordinary parties, especially after I told her about the apple bobbing at the birthday party I attended when I was about four years old (apple bobbing has to be the most unsanitary party activity ever invented, and I was totally grossed out when the mother of the birthday kid insisted that I engage in it. I was not disappointed that my mom didn't let me go to another party for several years after that.)

[gwendally.livejournal.com]

My children were born between 1991 and 1999. Chicken pox parties were phasing out in that time. My oldest had one, the second one was in hot demand by a subset of parents who were seeking wild chicken pox, and by the time my third got chicken pox it was almost gone from the wild. I don't know where he caught it and I don't think anyone caught it from him. I was considered a possibly abusive parent for not getting him the innoculation.

Now the danger is that we adults aren't getting regular challenges to our immune systems to keep our immunities intact. I think we're about due for an epidemic of shingles.

[susandennis]

"I think we're about due for an epidemic of shingles."

OHHHHH NOOOO! Bite your tongue. Seriously, I live in dread fear of shingles. Now, there's a vaccine that had better damn work or I'm going to be looking for heads to roll.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

I've had shingles. My case was really mild, but I wouldn't wish it upon anyone.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

My Mother remembers having measles and mumps. She ended up giving her Mother mumps, and boy was my Grandma pissed. (she was kind of a pissy woman.) She recalls having to be in a darkened room because that was considered important. (possibly to prevent blindness)

My Mom also mentioned how swimming pools would be closed because of a polio outbreak.

[susandennis]

Oh! right! I'd forgotten about the blindness thing. Yep. dark room which totally pissed me off because I couldn't read! Wow. Obliterated that memory.

Yes, the public pool at my Grandma's was closed one Summer because of polio. That also really pissed me off.

I caught the tail end. One of my friends came out with one withered leg. I don't know if/when Bobby ever got out of that iron lung. We never saw him at school again.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Wow, I remember having mumps, but don't think darkened rooms were ever mentioned!

[venta.livejournal.com]

A school friend of mine was recently looking after her daughter, who had chicken pox... and she had a couple of people asking if they could send children round to play and catch it! The pox party is still alive and well!

I don't think chicken pox is vaccinated against here in the UK.

[susandennis]

wow

[ciddyguy.livejournal.com]

Interesting you mention German Measles, AKA, Rubella, I was a prenatal Rubella baby from the big epidemic of 1964, yep, Mom had it, and I got it from her.

So I suffer some of the effects of that, but FAR less than many did in this situation.

I can't recall without digging up my medical records, I don't think I've ever had Mumps, or Chicken Pox, but was vaccinated for it though.

[susandennis]

Wow. I do remember getting German Measles then - I was in high school - and we were told to keep me inside and away from every adult female for what seemed like a long time. On the up side, I didn't feel terrible and got to skip a couple of really gnarly exams at school.

What a time.

[rsc.livejournal.com]

I'm a couple of years older than you, and I don't remember being vaccinated against anything as a child other than polio. I also don't remember such things as measles parties. My brother and I both had chicken pox when I was about 3 -- this is just on the very edge of my memory -- and I had measles at about 12, as did most of my 7th-grade class, at least in my porous recollection. Never had mumps.

I actually had an outbreak of shingles -- on and around my right eye -- about 30 years ago. It was not fun. Last year my doctor recommended that I get the vaccine, and I did.

I remember rectal thermometers and I don't recall being particularly horrified about them, but yes, it's nice not to have to deal with that any more, nor with keeping an oral thermometer under your tongue for a full three minutes.

[susandennis]

Interesting. I wonder if some of the difference was geographical - my experience being smallish town/suburban South.

Funny about the under the tongue thing being 3 minutes. I don't remember its being that long. wild.

[colestainedpage.livejournal.com]

Oddly enough I think of things like this often - how amazing it is that people have lived through decades of incredible change. I mean, I'm only 38 but already I've witnessed the change of computers, records evolving to cassettes evolving to CDs, the birth of cell phones... and that's just technology. It's mind boggling.

[susandennis]

I'm with you - thinking about these times vs those times a lot and I totally agree on the mind bogglingness of it.