Vaccine Preventable Diseases by Another Name... Are Just as Deadly
The Real Truth About Vaccines
If you are on the fence about vaccinating your kids, you might think about some of the more descriptive names that were used to refer to vaccine preventable diseases back in the day, when they were more common.
Vaccine Preventable Diseases by Another Name... Are Just as Deadly
What kind of descriptive names?
Names like:
the 100-day cough = pertussis - referring to the fact that a full-blown case of pertussis in someone without immunity typically lasts for at least 100 days!
In addition to a cough, infants with pertussis can develop apnea - they simply stop breathing. the harmless killer = measles - referring to the fact that while most children recover after a week of high fever and irritability, etc., about 1 to 2 in 1000 die and can have other complications, like pneumonia and encephalitis.
As we got the first measles vaccine, experts recommended that parents vaccinate their kids to prevent the 400 deaths and 400 cases of measles encephalitis that were caused by this harmless killer each year. the strangling angel = diphtheria - referring to the fact that diphtheria toxin produces a pseudomembrane in a child’s airway that makes it nearly impossible to breath.
The strangling angel taking a child with diphtheria. Richard Tennant Cooper via the Wellcome Collection. CC BY 4.0 the Crippler = polio - referring to the fact that many children who got sick with polio were left with atrophied muscles and paralysis.
We are very close to eradicating polio! lockjaw = tetanus - describing the severe muscle spasms that can lead to your jaw tightening up so much that you can’t open it to eat or drink anything. Of course, the same spasms happen to your other muscles, but your jaw muscles tightening typically happens first and is most dramatic.
St. Anthony’s Fire = shingles - describes the burning pain that accompanies a typical case of shingles. It is also a reminder that you can pray to St. Anthony if you or someone you know has shingles, as he is the patron saint of skin diseases, including shingles! And remember, a childhood chickenpox vaccine is thought to reduce the risk of later developing shingles.
Fortunately, these diseases, and many others, are now vaccine preventable.
But that’s the only reason we had rarely been seeing them!
With more unvaccinated kids though, it becomes very easy for all of these diseases to come surging back.
And that means you risk a visit from the strangling angel in the middle of the night or the crippler if your child isn’t vaccinated and protected!
A risk that isn’t worth taking.
Vaccines are safe, with few risks, and are very necessary.