Tag Archive for pertussis

Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. Most of us have not had personal experience with illnesses like measles, mumps, German measles, or polio. Thank goodness for that. It is because a generation ago individuals, families, and doctors choose a different path. They witnessed loved ones stricken with these diseases. When the opportunity arose to protect themselves from these viruses in the form of vaccinations, they took them.   Before the measles vaccine, annually there were about 450,000 cases of measles. About 450 people died. Imagine having a loved one die of measles. Since the licensing of the vaccine in 1963, the number of cases has dropped by 98 percent! Today small outbreaks still occur primarily in communities that declined the measles vaccine, among high school and college students who were inadequately immunized, or among travelers visiting countries, typically developing countries, where the illness is still common.   […] Read More »