Do kids still get childhood illnesses?
By John Welford
@indexer (4852)
Leicester, England
October 11, 2015 6:04pm CST
When I was growing up - in the 1950s and 60s - most children seemed to catch at least one of five diseases, these being measles, German measles, mumps, whooping cough and chickenpox.
I scored only two out of the five, namely measles and mumps, but I knew kids at school who managed all of these between them. They were not only unpleasant in themselves but entailed weeks off school and away from one's friends.
I know that immunisation has reduced the incidence of these diseases, but do they still occur? Have your children/grandchildren fallen victim to any of these in recent years? Or are there others that have taken their place?
8 people like this
12 responses
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104632)
• United States
11 Oct 15
I was born in '87. I have had the chicken pox and whooping cough as a child.
My niece and nephew are 15 and 9. To my knowledge, neither of them have had any of the things you've listed. I had not really thought about it until now but I suppose it must be immunization.
1 person likes this
@indexer (4852)
• Leicester, England
12 Oct 15
One would like to hope that immunization has led to good results in terms of child health, otherwise what is the point?! Prevention is definitely better than cure!
I can still remember the boredom of spending all day in bed for week after week. I missed nearly a whole term of school thanks to measles at the age of 5.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104632)
• United States
12 Oct 15
@indexer Of course there is much controversy over immunization shots now. I was hardly ever sick as a child, to the point where more often than not my illness was faked so I could have reprieve from school.
1 person likes this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
12 Oct 15
they still get the shots but I don't think many get those deseases but I think some still do
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70035)
• United States
11 Oct 15
I got measles, mumps, and chickenpox, but that was in the fifties.
Not sure what they get now.
1 person likes this
@rakski (112925)
• Philippines
11 Oct 15
oh yes, it has not been the case these days when every month pediatrician inject immunization to children. My daughter who is 8 do not get any of those diseases as of writing this. She usually has simple cough and cold that usually ends up in pneumonia but other than that no more. My youngest was infected by chicken pox because he lack one booster dose of the vaccine but nevertheless her sister did not get the disease even though they spent times together during the time he has the disease.
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@tomford (135)
• Richmond, Virginia
12 Oct 15
kids don't get these diseases much anymore because of immunizations and shots but now the big problem is autism and other mental conditions. all the experts want to claim there is no link but where there is smoke there is either someone smoking a cig or a fire. too many kids have autism now than they did back before the new preservative in vaccine shots was added. also they pile too many on children at one time that cant be safe and one day we will learn that it was not.
@MALUSE (69413)
• Germany
12 Oct 15
I had measles, scarlet fever, whooping cough, chicken pox and was really ill. With measles and scarlet fever I was even in hospital. That was in the late 1940s/early 1950s. The diseases still exist but when the first symptoms appear, they're suppressed with the help of medication. I remember a young teacher with measles. Measles are dangerous for grown-ups. She had to stay at home for quite some time. In Germany all girls are vaccinated against rubella at the age of 10/11. It's a dangerous disease for girls. Mumps is dangerous for boys but they aren't vaccinated as far as I know.
@bookbar (1609)
• Sudbury, England
13 Oct 15
You forgot 'Yellow jaundice' and it's diet of boiled fish for weeks, had that and all the others on the list.....now you get pockets of disease, where parents resisted immunisation, as happened recently with Measles...
@NeldaHoxie (1381)
• United States
11 Oct 15
Yeah. The whooping cough vaccine is not as effective because anit-vaxers complained about some of the ingredients. Therefore even kids who get their DTAP shots can get it. BTW they have an adult DTAP that everyone should get on a regular basis.
