| Measles is on the increase due to a reluctance by | | | | wanted their kids to catch measles back in these |
| parents to allow their children to have the MMR | | | | days. I have read that measles parties were common |
| vaccine. The early stages are similar to many other | | | | then, but I never came across one. We were always |
| diseases, yet measles kills children. Part I of this | | | | told to keep away from anyone who had measles - |
| article explains why measles parties are not a good | | | | at least until they went back to school. Some never |
| idea, and why measles is a dangerous infection. | | | | went back. |
| Measles is caused by a virus of the influenza family. | | | | Since the measles vaccine, which became available in |
| The initial measles symptoms are a bit like a bad cold | | | | 1963, and MMR which was licensed in the USA in 1971 |
| or flu, but with a rash! The vast majority of parents | | | | (1972 in the UK), the disease has become uncommon |
| do not know what measles really is, other than being | | | | in developed countries, and parents have become |
| a childhood illness. They know it has a rash and is | | | | blasé about it. This is the only reason I can |
| infectious, but that's about it. They have probably | | | | think of for them concluding that measles parties are |
| never seen it and don't know anyone who has had it. | | | | better for their children than the vaccine. If it does |
| Most doctors would not recognise measles | | | | not kill, it can have some very nasty side effects. It |
| symptoms until the rash appeared, never having | | | | is without a doubt the most dangerous children's |
| come across it. This is due to the measles vaccination | | | | rash-producing disease. |
| program which was superseded by the MMR vaccine. | | | | Measles is still one of the major causes of death in |
| I have even heard of parents arranging measles | | | | children worldwide (over 600,000 have been |
| parties, where young children are sent to visit others | | | | reported) and it is almost as contagious as smallpox. |
| who have measles in order that they catch it. This is | | | | Children have around a 99% chance of contracting |
| going back to the immediate post World War 2 era | | | | the disease if they come into contacted with an |
| when immunity was gained by catching the disease. I | | | | infected person. The main cause of death in around |
| was brought up in the 1950s and early 1960s and | | | | 60% of measles cases is pneumonia. |
| remember mumps parties and German measles | | | | If it does not kill your children they have a high |
| parties so that children would be immune to these | | | | chance of hearing problems, and worse, a much |
| diseases as adults, but not measles parties. | | | | higher than average chance of contracting meningitis |
| The reason for this is that mumps can damage the | | | | or encephalitis. The chances of this are only 1 in a |
| male reproductive system ( and, not so well known, | | | | 1000, but you don't want your son or daughter to be |
| the ovaries as well) if contracted after puberty, and | | | | that one. I know, because my son was that one. He |
| German measles is very dangerous to the developing | | | | contracted meningitis and encaphilitis shortly after |
| fetus. In children, however, they are relatively mild | | | | receiving a measles vaccination, but I still prompted |
| diseases. Painful and uncomfortable, perhaps, but not | | | | my daughter to allow her son to have the MMR |
| what you would call killer diseases. German measles is | | | | vaccine. The disease is far more dangerous than the |
| not a type of measles. The word 'German' probably | | | | vaccine. He had it and all was well. My son's story is |
| comes from a Latin word, germanus, meaning 'similar' | | | | on my website. |
| since the symptoms are similar to those of measles. | | | | In part two of this article, I will explain the symptoms |
| Measles kill, so we never had measles parties. In fact | | | | and in what order they can be expected, to help |
| back in the 1940s and 1950s it was a major killer. In | | | | parents who are unsure what they should do or |
| England alone 5,677 children died in the 1940s. Nobody | | | | when to call a doctor. |