Seventy years ago, there was, unfortunately, such a great number of communicable diseases that there were hospitals dedicated to their treatment. In the 1950s, 95 percent of the population had been infected with the measles by age 15, with 500 deaths annually. There also were special hospital units with iron lungs to manage those who had polio, which, in 1952 alone, had infected over 60,000 and caused 3,000 deaths.

I was a nursing student at a communicable-disease hospital in Boston when my 5-year-old cousin Charlie was admitted. He had the measles and essentially had died on the way to the hospital. He was revived but never regained intellectual capacity nor the ability to communicate.

His family was devastated. His mother had planned on having him vaccinated before school started that fall. His parents divorced and my uncle – overwhelmed with grief – killed himself.

Charlie’s brother, marked forever by the tragedy, is still living. Charlie has spent 60 years in a state institution, except for a few unsuccessful attempts at living at home. He will be walking the grounds of the institution until his death.

Also, my husband died of polio in 1955, before the vaccine was public.

Those who were not exposed to witnessing the tragedies secondary to these diseases do not appreciate the great advances that vaccines have contributed to society. We do not want to regress to having to dedicate communicable-disease hospitals.

Beverly Robbins

Gardiner

« Previous

Letter to the editor: If you support vaccination, vote ‘no’ on Question 1

Next »

Letter to the editor: Reject profit-driven vaccine policy – vote ‘yes’ on Question 1