Twenty-five years ago, I thought that a case of the measles was no big deal. Like my brother and sister before me, and my younger sister after, I had survived measles when I was about 7.
My clearest memory of that time was being kept a dark room for about a week and the bright blue helium-filled balloon my mother brought me. Months later, that puckered orb was still on display as a reminder of my victory over the measles. However, when my daughter Gillian — then an 18-month-old toddler — became ill with the measles in February 1990, my entire thinking changed forever about childhood diseases as a rite of passage.
At first, Gillian’s hacking cough seemed like nothing more than the product of a mild cold that had gone straight to her chest. Her next symptoms, though, proved my theory wrong. The whites of her eyes turned bright red — conjunctivitis? — and her temperature shot to 104 degrees, then 105. Her little voice was hoarse. The most alarming thing was that my baby refused to drink anything. Usually, Gillian was a good eater who looked forward to her morning milk. Not that morning. I couldn’t get her to swallow milk, baby acetaminophen or even apple juice, her favorite drink other than the Coca-Cola she was always trying to sip out of my glass.
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So what did I learn from this experience? I never again took my three children’s good health for granted and found a wonderful pediatrician whom we kept until they aged out of his care. When I had my next child two years later, I followed his vaccine schedule faithfully. Gillian is now a teacher at an early childhood center; she has remained up to date on vaccines since, and receives a flu shot every year.
While many things have changed in the decades since her illness, there is still no cure for the measles. The recent measles outbreak that sprang from Disneyland made me think back to my many Disney park visits. I recall seeing hundreds of babies and toddlers happily exploring the Magic Kingdom from the comfort of their strollers. Not once did I consider how their health might be compromised simply by being at the “Happiest Place on Earth,” and I bet their parents didn’t either.
I hope that the current measles outbreak gives pause to the parents of little ones who reject vaccines. I wonder if those who choose not to vaccinate their children realize the gravity of the situation they might face. While every parent has the right to make personal decisions about their children’s health care, parents need to know that not vaccinating their babies can also have scary and dangerous consequences.
