Childhood in the centuries before vaccination was marked by illness, but also by grief and loss in a way that we tend to forget now that disease outbreaks are more of a rarity. https://voxdotcom.visitlink.me/WmCVmk
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My grandmother used to discuss this with me. She was always so grateful that all of her children and grandchildren survived. She would panic when we got measles or mumps.
All you have to do is walk through a 19th century graveyard and look at all the kids' graves: babies, youths, teenagers... and if there was an epidemic all the kids died in the same year.
When I was a wee thing in about 1954 there was no measles vaxx. My younger sister and I both got it. All I remember is spending days in bed, curtains drawn against any light, and watching “Howdy Doody” on tiny TV. But on the + side I’m immune.
My father went blind at 13 from meningitis. My mother’s best friend died of the measles. My grandmother lost three brothers to whooping cough.
Do not want to return to that.
In my community there's a historic house, built in 19th century away from town so family could escape disease in the city across the harbour. Diphtheria killed eight children before the home was ready and they could move with three surviving away from constantly circulating infectious disease.
I had measles, mumps, and chicken pox as a child. It was horrible. Painful, high temps, and aches. Each time I remember thinking I felt as though I was dying. I wouldn't wish any of them on anyone. But all we're wiped out in the US until the orange asshole.
My street had 27 kids under 12 in the 1930s. 7 died before they made 12. That was normal.
Diphtheria, runaway infection from ordinary illnesses, whooping cough, measles and hepatitis.
Others made it through with life changing disabilities.
No kids died from the 1960s onwards... not one.
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Exactly what we used to do as kids in our small community as the cemeteries were in beautiful locations. We saw graves of ancestors with various surnames and recognized names of other local familys’ ancestors. Parents explained why so many died so young..
From a young age, I’ve liked walking through old cemeteries. So, yeah, I paid attention to names and dates on headstones. Plus grew up getting many of my vax by the school nurse. Parents didn’t protest this, they were grateful.
That was how I first became aware of this. I thought we were a little weird until I saw the replies-we were most certainly not the only ones who habitually took these walks.
I used to think I was a bit morbid, but it sparked curiosity about the dates on the stones and why multiple family members died in the same years, how old they were, etc.
Aside from the historical info, I find the inscriptions on stone very poignant, sweet, funny, sad…
Sorry to the vaxx cultists but tuberculosis was a major killer and it wasn't a vaccine that really got it under control even though I am sure some here will lose their $#!T over it, perhaps most of all the paid trolls from pharma, inc.
Antibiotics were the key in my family, with the graveyard filled with Uncle's and Aunts killed by TB. Vaccines played their part too as others had been finished off by measles, polio and diphtheria. My life was considerably less dramatic and sorrowful compared to Ma and Pa thanks to both.
You vaxx-cultists are gonna meltdown but... "In 1900, pneumonia and influenza, tuberculosis, and enteritis with diarrhea were the three leading causes of death in the United States, and children under 5 accounted for 40 percent of all deaths from these infections (CDC, 1999a)."
At least for the first half of my life, if you asked an old woman how many children she had, you would usually get two numbers, like "seven, four lived."
Every cemetery in the world has great numbers of child graves before the arrival of vaccines. These graves are now rare. The truth of the benefits of vaccines is written in stone
My son got strep and as a result scarlet fever. He was diagnosed & put on meds on a Wed. Was home from school Thursday. Went back to school Friday & went to a school dance & had fun that evening.
100 years ago, I’d be weeping & praying by his bedside hoping for a miracle.
Just take a walk around any old graveyard and look at the number of dead children pre 1960 or so.
Vaccination works.
Vaccination saves lives.
Vaccination, just do it.
Parents didn’t name their children for the first few days in case the kid got sick and died. They also went through several kids with the same name, one after another, hoping the kid would live past 5
You can still find old graveyards with dozens of tiny graves, each with the same name
I read that parents felt a little bit of relief if their child lived until age 4 because so many young children died. If they made it to 4, chances were greater that they would make it to adulthood.
How do vaccines affect life expectancy?
Vaccines dramatically reduced the incidence of infectious diseases that historically killed hundreds of millions, and made a substantial contribution to life expectancy that during the last century in developed countries increased from ∼47–80 yrs
Well to anyone : my Dad was born in 1925. His Aunt gave him a life insurance policy as a Christening gift. Most kids back then didn’t live very long. (He was one of 8 and his sister died at 9 from Diphtheria).
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Do not want to return to that.
Read more from Anna North: https://voxdotcom.visitlink.me/WmCVmk
She grew up in the thirties
Diphtheria, runaway infection from ordinary illnesses, whooping cough, measles and hepatitis.
Others made it through with life changing disabilities.
No kids died from the 1960s onwards... not one.
You take my breath away✨️
Remember:
Contact
Call
Text
Fax
Show up
Post, repost, share
Register to vote
Protest & march, peacefully
Congress States Counties Cities
https://constitution.congress.gov/browse Click on 1st Amendment
We are stronger when we march together 🦋 ✌️
When: Friday, March 7, 2025, 12-6 pm
Where: National Mall in DC & State Capitols Nationwide
Why: It's time to Stand Up For Science. For everyone who does it, and for everyone who benefits from it. 🦋 ✌️
And now, add Iowa.
Aside from the historical info, I find the inscriptions on stone very poignant, sweet, funny, sad…
My dad told me how frightening it was before the Polio vaccine came out - no swimming in the summers-
summers were "Polio season" for DECADES.
And in photography class, you learn that when it was invented, most people bought photos of their dead kids -
memento mori
So yeah, I get it
https://www.scirp.org/pdf/JTR_2016082614050087.pdf
We're not that far from those high infant mortality rates.
100 years ago, I’d be weeping & praying by his bedside hoping for a miracle.
Science is the miracle.
Vaccination works.
Vaccination saves lives.
Vaccination, just do it.
You can still find old graveyards with dozens of tiny graves, each with the same name
Vaccines dramatically reduced the incidence of infectious diseases that historically killed hundreds of millions, and made a substantial contribution to life expectancy that during the last century in developed countries increased from ∼47–80 yrs