Measles is changing minds

[wnylib]

17. When I was a child, before vaccines for measles and chicken pox,

people tried to protect pregnant women and infants from those diseases. They knew that exposure during pregnancy could harm the fetus and exposure to infants could kill them or leave a lasting effect.

But they intentionally exposed children around age 6, especially girls, in order to give them immunity prior to pregnancy.

I had one older cousin and a friend my age who were deaf as a result of measles. Both of them had mothers who caught measles when pregnant.

I had measles, chicken pox, and mumps before first grade. Everyone thought it was a good thing that I had developed immunity and had no lasting effects from the diseases other than two pockets marks, one just above my eyebrow and the other on my nose. Neither one is very visible.