Anyone not old enough to remember “parties” to ensure children got these common illnesses while young…… Watch the old movie “Corina, Corina”. In previous eras…..before vaccinations for the common things, catching stuff young ensured their sons and daughters did not fall to those same diseases when they grew up. Risk was far greater and permanent damage certainly higher risk too. I just caught all ‘the usual’ in Kindergarten and brought it home to lil’ brother. I didn’t go to any official ‘parties’.
Measles, Mumps, and Chicken Pox. [not “German Measles” = Rubella] EVERYONE I knew back then caught those and survived. No one liked the fever, swollen glands or THE ITCHING! Envied those who got outta school! 😉 I might remember that wasn’t quite as fun as it sounded like…..ahem. No one I ever knew went to the hospital. And we all have life-time immunity…the old-fashioned way. No one thot it was weird.
They were starting vaccines for Small Pox ….Diphtheria?…..Rubella? No one risked Small Pox or those after the vaccine came out. Thankfully, my own mother survived both Small Pox and Scarlet Fever. She apparently caught EVERYthing as a child. I knew one post polio kid, of course. That’s another bad one. Sugar cubes.
But we never considered those three to be serious. They were normal. We all had them. Like colds and “flu” …which in those days, was anything that made you throw up.
What’s considered “normal” changes, people. …. And then of course, it changes again….wait for it.
OldMtWoman …..I’m not getting into what or what not to do TODAY. Just giving some historical perspective.