Everybody loves the retro look, so it's no surprise that people are giving measles a try again. I had the original version, of course. At least once. Seems like there was a variety-pak of measles. We had regular measles and red measles and German measles and brown measles and speckled measles and anadromous measles, which kept coming back again. Or possibly they didn't come back again, but they left enough of an impression that we remembered them over and over, or adopted our classmates' episodes as our own. I do recall one bout clearly. I was in fourth grade and I missed Valentine's Day. I remember Dr. Martin coming by with his black bag and telling mom, whom he always called Mother, that I would probably be fine but she had to be careful I didn't come down with Scarlet Fever. That made an impression. Some colors are scarier than others. Scarlet Fever sounded really bad, so much worse than the Pink Pox or the Ecru Flu.
I didn't come down with any color anything, but I did have a very high fever. It gave me this awful nightmare. It had something to do with things being really really little right next to really really big things, and one of the things was the typewritten lower-case "e," which was for some reason terrifying. And then I went whooshing off in the dark really far and really fast, like from Virginia to India in two seconds, and that was terrifying too. Either that, or I got shot down in a military helicopter in Iraq; I get mixed up.
Years later I read about that dark tunnel you're supposed to go through when you're dying and realized that was another way of describing my fever dream. So I think I was pretty sick. I kept having that nightmare periodically for years even when I wasn't sick. One night I finally recognized it and thought to myself "shit. This again? Here to India again in two seconds in the dark? I don't even want to GO to India." And I never had the dream again.
So I think today's kids are really going to enjoy the measles, what with all the Valentines, and being able to stay in bed and listen to the little melamine radio, and the probably not dying and all. If you don't get it, just hang in there. It's tremendous contagious. Evidently a single measle can remain suspended in a doctor's office for hours floating on a miasma of old People Magazine fumes. Then it waits for an unvaccinated child to come in and jumps on it, making a little hee-yah sound. The vaccine for it also protects against mumps and rubella. I'm told I got the mumps when I was very new, but inasmuch as (like all infants) I looked like Winston Churchill at the time, I don't know how they could tell.
Vaccines are a remarkable medical success story. My goodness, we got rid of smallpox altogether, and almost got rid of polio. You just about have to have a drug problem or a car accident to check out early these days. That's why people are sort of casual about joining the vaccinated herd. We'll probably have to drop a few cattle to get people back on board.
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I think that maybe this reluctance to get their children vaccinated stems from the increasing mistrust of Big Pharma: it's releasing of drugs without adequate testing... it's coming up with drugs to treat "diseases" that are not really diseases at all, but just a way to get people to spend more money on prescriptions that they don't need. The tendency here is to throw the baby out with the bathwater. I, too, am disgusted by the greed of these corporations. However, I am glad that my husband can take a relatively cheap drug to bring down his blood pressure. People just have to do their research, not blindly take a drug just because their doctor has prescribed it (doctor's tendency to prescribe antibiotics for viruses -- which they do nothing to eradicate -- springs to mind. As does prescribing anti-depressants just because someone isn't happyhappyjoyjoy all the time.) But something that IS potentially a matter of life and death... um... you should probably take the drug. Again, it requires some research on the patient's part... something people seem loathe to do.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to think of things I've been vaccinated against. I know I didn't get the vaccine for whooping cough or chicken pox or measles. I got marched into the doctor's office FIRST THING for the polio vaccine when it came out, I'll tell you. There are a lot of things not to like about Big Pharm but vaccines are gooood.
DeleteThere are quite a few whooping cough outbreaks around these days, best get vaccinated. Doctors here are recommending booster shots for adults as immunity wanes.
DeleteI don't think I've ever gotten that shot. And I'm coughing NOW.
DeleteSee your doctor. I learned from my doctor that adults don't get the "whoop" sound, that only happens in kids and babies, so many adults don't realise they have whooping cough.
DeleteUh-oh.
DeleteI tend to mistrust the vaccinations that pump multiple drugs to immunize very young children from 6-8 different diseases, but I believe all children should be immunized, I only question the schedule. Certainly schools should require the immunizations. I think many people feel that if all the other children are covered, then their children are safe. They are not factoring in the many un-vaccinated people that are new to our land, whether just visiting or planting new roots.
ReplyDeleteAlso some vaccinations lose their protective capabilities. I was vaccinated from Whooping Cough, but 8 years ago I came down with it. Nasty unproductive dry coughing for bout 100 days. People need to re-up on that shot. Especially as the disease is very dangerous to children too young to be vaccinated.
They immunize for whooping cough as young as 2 months, so that isn't an issue so much as the fact that it only provides protection for either the viral or bacterial variety (can't remember which). Also, sometimes it just isn't as effective. My son and I had it, also, back in 2012 - not fun, but not deadly in a big person. I can see how it would be terrible if a baby had it, though.
DeleteI agree that the medical community just needs to be more flexible in the timing of administration of the shots. It would win over a lot of on-the-fence anti-vaxers that way. I am lucky that my doctor cooperated with me when I expressed reluctance to immunize a newborn baby or to do too many shots in one sitting. I don't understand these medical practices that are all "My way or the highway."
My suspicion about the timing (after watching my first grandchild getting "one in each thigh and one in each wing") when she was so new is that the insurance companies don't want to pay for multiple visits for fewer shots at each one. So they tell us it's just fine to have so many all at once. But then I'm a bit paranoid.
DeleteI never had kids to make decisions about, but my tendency would be to trust the doctors on the timing of shots. I think there are a ton of data on that. I am trying to avoid taking drugs if possible (and not recreational).
DeleteThe head of the CDC's immunization division testified before Congress yesterday and was asked about the scheduling. Bottom line, there are good medical/scientific reasons for the recommended schedule, and parents who decide that they want to spread out the vaccines run the risk of reducing their effectiveness.
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DeleteWell, it's good that the CDC announced that. Maybe if some of the anti-vaxers hear it, they will reconsider.
DeleteAaah, the old UCDs (usual childhood diseases) are back. I suspect with our modern invincibility (coupled with short memories and general stupidity) we will start seeing more smallpox, tuberculosis, polio, and a host of other nearly eradicated diseases (at least on this continent) come back for a second run. Time to invest in for profit medical facilities to house the next epidemic. At least if we don't die, we'll be rich!
ReplyDeleteBubonic plague will be all the rage at renaissance faires....
DeleteI love it! Do you realize, by the way, how very close we've gotten to eradicating polio? At one point it was down to the dozens. Then resurged.
DeleteBlog-hopping this morning, and from Florida to Oregon I find writers on about measles and downed helicopters. First Churchill mention here, though.
ReplyDeleteI like to shake it up.
DeleteChildhood vaccinations have been given to many, many children over the years without harm. Yes, there are some children who will have reactions, and some have developed other illnesses that may or may not be related to the vaccines. BUT there is a greater risk to travelling in a moving motor vehicle, and I don't see people refusing to drive their kids around. Oooo, don't get me started!
ReplyDeleteToo late?
Deleteheh
DeleteI had mumps as a 4-year-old, and I still remember waking up that day feeling odd and walking into the kitchen saying, "My cheeks feel weird" and watching everyone in there take one look at me and start cracking up. Not a dangerous disease, unless you're past puberty or you mind people laughing at you.
ReplyDeleteYeah, you'd definitely remember something even that early if everyone was laughing at you. That's why I remember tripping over the threshold with a basket of chicken eggs.
DeleteI got the usual childhood diseases because back in my day, we didn't have all the vaccines we have today. My daughters weren't allowed into school each year if their vaccines weren't complete for their age group. How in the world are unvaccinated kids allowed in class? Is there an epidemic of parents opting out their kids?
ReplyDeleteOddly enough, I think it's Mississippi that has the strictest rules on that. Most states allow parents to opt out.
DeleteI had mumps, chicken pox, and both measles when I was a child, and was very sick with the rubeola measles. Fortunately, I don't remember much of it, but my parents certainly did, and would be appalled that anyone would refuse vaccinations for their kids.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who would be dead or brain-damaged by now if not for the medications I take, I tend to be very grateful for modern medicine and the doctors who man (and woman) the front lines. But maybe that's just me.
I'm grateful you're not brain-damaged either. We enjoy you too much.
DeleteAwwww...thanks, Murr. :)
DeleteWell, you've done it again! Another perfect post.
ReplyDeleteWe must have had the same strain of measles - since I had them several times, too. Even your dream sounds familiar! When allowed out of the darkened bedroom, I had to wear sunglasses at the dinner table - apparently they can wreak havoc with your eyes. Unfortunately, I did get Scarlet Fever some years later. It was summer. There were drapes over the windows (again, must have something to do with the eyes). We were quarantined. Of course, the big sign on the doors had the opposite effect it was supposed to. Every kid in the neighborhood came by to see if I could "come out and play" and every mother came bearing food gifts - which had to be left at the door. When no one was in sight my mom quickly snatched them inside. (The food gifts, not the mothers!) Since my dad had to work, he had to go somewhere else and live for a couple weeks.
I was lucky enough to get the mumps when we moved into our house - had them on one side the day before we moved in - then they jumped to the other side after moving day. Once again, dear old dad had to go live elsewhere for a couple weeks! I was a very sickly child.
Thanks for the memories!
Seriously, we need to remember history so we don't repeat it. Even though vaccinations can prevent disease, Heaven forbid we should ask parents to give their kids a mean ol' nasty shot - but guess it's OK for the Little Darlings to take all forms of other drugs!
BTW I agree with Jenny O - nothing in life is totally safe, but Idiots Texting While Driving is much more hazardous than a shot in the butt!
I think it's interesting what's scary to different generations. Obviously, the current avoidance of vaccines has come about because the diseases are no longer prevalent. And people think they can get a free ride on the vaccinated herd. I have a feeling we're going to be seeing whole new epidemics of as-yet unknown diseases before we finally slam the lid on our species.
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DeleteI had no idea there were so many different types of measles! I may ow someone an apology. I only knew about regular and German.
ReplyDeleteI don't think smallpox is completely eradicated. I remember hearing about a couple of cases in a third world country, last year or the year before.
Don't apologize yet. I don't think you can take absolutely everything I write to the bank. But--and this is easily looked up, but I'm lazy--I'm pretty sure we're done with smallpox. We do have the virus in at least two locations in test tubes, and it's a matter of great controversy if they should be disposed of or not.
DeleteAwww. Don't you look cute in the second photo, hanging out on the grass. You haven't changed a bit, Murr - still adorable.
ReplyDeleteLooks like I've got a load in my pants, doesn't it?
DeleteI sometimes wonder how we have survived at all with the stupidity we seem to embrace.
ReplyDeleteWe breed like rabbits?
DeleteI remember back in the early fifties when mothers of pre-pubescent daughters would arrange "Measles parties," so that we could get over all the versions before we were old enough to get pregnant. The first time we tried that, I got one tiny bit of rash and a low fever. My twin brother caught it from me, had rash even on the soles of his feet, and had to go to the hospital with high fever. Girls are tougher than boys.
ReplyDeleteDave remembers pox parties, but I think my folks must not have bought into that, because I don't remember any. I do remember getting the chicken pox and I was real itchy but not feverish or sick-feeling, so my doctor said I could go to summer camp, thinking I had poison ivy or something. I infected every last child there.
DeleteI had the mumps on both sides during Easter vacation in first grade. That sucked. And as a kid, I had the Giant Things and Tiny Things dreams a lot.
ReplyDeleteReally? You did? I almost left that out because it is so bizarre.
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