The Lemon Fool

I can't remember which illness, but I have remember reading somewhere that there was a time when parents would bring their young kids round to someone's house just to get something, since it was safer to have when you were young.

Measles, Chicken Pox, Mumps, German Measles...Bubonic plague?

Steve

PS For a lot of my childhood, my parents used to say they were suffering from Gastroenteritis on a Sunday and were feeling awful.

Years later, I learned that they simply had hangovers!

Chicken Pox parties!

Measles parties, yes indeed in our street during the fifties. German measles parties (rubella) similarly. We didn't have scarlet fever or polio parties, but nobody would have been very surprised if they had.

Mumps is a complete b**t**d for a male to have, even when you're five. At twenty-five, though, it might seriously affect your prospects of future parenthood. Hence the logic of holding mumps parties. These days the MMR vaccine is claimed to be effective against measles, mumps and rubella - but there are still those who fancy their children's chances of reproduction against what their doctors tell them. I try not to judge.

BJ

German measles was the common one to try to catch when young.

I remember mumps quite well, and quite enjoyed it - but only because in my mind I remember only the good bit, which was that for a while I could only eat ice cream.


Arb.

We are fortunate to have the MMR jab.

Some children have unfortunate parents though.

Twas Chicken pox parties

No parties but I remember shingles was supposed to be best to have when young, it seemed to appear around the same time as chicken pox? Vague memories.

oldapple wrote:No parties but I remember shingles was supposed to be best to have when young, it seemed to appear around the same time as chicken pox? Vague memories.

Shingles is the same virus as chicken pox, but usually appears later in life. Vaccination against it is available for those in their 70s, I believe.

TJH

tjh290633 wrote:

oldapple wrote:No parties but I remember shingles was supposed to be best to have when young, it seemed to appear around the same time as chicken pox? Vague memories.

Shingles is the same virus as chicken pox, but usually appears later in life. Vaccination against it is available for those in their 70s, I believe.

TJH

We had a great aunt who had never (knowingly) had either and the family practice was to keep her as far away from any possible exposure; the belief being that the later in life one was exposed the worse it would be.
... having had chicken pox inside my mouth and eyelids while in primary 5 (I missed the Easter exams) I can't imagine what "a really bad case" might be like

tjh290633 wrote:Shingles is the same virus as chicken pox, but usually appears later in life. Vaccination against it is available for those in their 70s, I believe.

Yes, I had my jab about six months ago, together with the pneumonia vaccine. (A misnomer, that one, because pneumonia is a many-varied thing and the jab only protects against one form of it.)

But yes, my former boss caught shingles at age 50, and it laid waste to his wellbeing for about three months. He was as fit as a flea, a marathon runner. Not nice at all.

BJ

bungeejumper wrote:Yes, I had my jab about six months ago, together with the pneumonia vaccine. (A misnomer, that one, because pneumonia is a many-varied thing and the jab only protects against one form of it)

More correctly referred to as the pneumococcal vaccine by the practice that administered mine (for protection against a wide range of infections, including pneumonia, caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae).

bungeejumper wrote:But yes, my former boss caught shingles at age 50, and it laid waste to his wellbeing for about three months. He was as fit as a flea, a marathon runner. Not nice at all.

I'd second that. I had it on my head in my late fifties -lots of concern about the possibility of permanent damage to the vision in my right eye (badly swollen). Fortunately, I started antivirals early and all was okay. Would definitely recommend avoiding the experience if possible!