In a time when medical advancements offer protection against numerous infectious diseases, a concerning trend is emerging: illnesses once nearly eradicated in the United States are making a comeback. Diseases like measles, polio, and whooping cough, largely absent from public memory thanks to successful vaccination campaigns, are resurfacing as immunization rates decline. For some families, this resurgence isn’t just a news headline; it’s a painful reminder of past suffering and lives forever altered. They carry the scars, the losses, and the unwavering conviction that the protection offered by vaccines is invaluable – a lesson they desperately hope others will learn before it’s too late.
Before widespread vaccination became common, infectious diseases were a constant, terrifying threat. They were a leading cause of death, especially among young children. In 1900, heartbreakingly, close to one in five American children did not survive to see their fifth birthday, primarily due to these rampant illnesses. Diseases like polio, measles, rubella, and whooping cough caused widespread death and left many survivors with debilitating, lifelong health problems.
Vaccines dramatically changed this grim reality. Over the 20th century, they systematically diminished the toll of these diseases, eventually leading to the virtual elimination of illnesses like polio and measles within the U.S. borders. This monumental public health achievement has, paradoxically, contributed to a modern challenge: vaccine hesitancy.
The Unseen Cost of Success
Dr. William Schaffner, a leading infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, points to the very effectiveness of vaccines as a root cause of current skepticism. “This concern, this hesitancy, these questions about vaccines are a consequence of the great success of the vaccines – because they eliminated the diseases,” Dr. Schaffner explains. When people haven’t witnessed the devastating effects of a disease firsthand, they often lack respect or fear for it. Consequently, they may fail to grasp the immense value of the vaccine that prevents it.
This lack of personal experience allows misinformation to take root. Anti-vaccine narratives frequently highlight extremely rare potential vaccine side effects while ignoring the far greater, scientifically proven risks posed by the diseases themselves. Years of rigorous research and real-world data consistently demonstrate the safety and efficacy of vaccines. Yet, skepticism persists, fueled by a collective amnesia regarding the suffering these preventable diseases can inflict.
Living the Pain of Preventable Illnesses
For families who have endured the brutal reality of these illnesses, the news of falling vaccination rates and disease outbreaks isn’t abstract; it’s a reopening of old wounds. They know the potential outcomes intimately and are driven by a powerful desire to prevent others from experiencing similar heartbreak. Their stories serve as stark warnings.
Congenital Rubella Syndrome: A Mother’s Lifelong Burden
Janith Farnham, now 80, gently guides her 60-year-old daughter, Jacque, through an art center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. A simple shared moment over a painting of a cow wearing a hat – pointing from the artwork to Jacque’s Minnesota Twins cap, then signing “That’s so funny!” – highlights the unique bond forged over decades of challenges.
Jacque was born with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), a condition Janith knows all too well resulted from her contracting rubella, or German measles, early in her pregnancy. Back then, over 60 years ago, there was no vaccine to protect expectant mothers. Rubella infection during the first trimester carries up to a 90% chance of severe birth defects. Janith quickly suspected something was wrong. Her infant daughter didn’t react to sounds, fixate on anything but lights, or like being held close. A tiny heart murmur, sounding like a “purr,” signaled a critical issue requiring surgery at just four months old.
CRS caused a cascade of lifelong issues for Jacque, including profound hearing loss, vision problems, intellectual disabilities, and heart defects. Despite Janith’s dedication – honing her special education skills and connecting with other parents in support groups – the condition continued to take its toll. As a young adult, Jacque developed diabetes, glaucoma, autistic behaviors, and later, arthritis.
Today, Jacque lives nearby in a residential home but sees her mother most days. Their time together, filled with simple joys like looking at photo albums Janith created or playing with her dog, is a testament to Jacque’s enduring spirit. Janith marvels at her daughter’s humor, curiosity, and affectionate nature, noting Jacque’s frequent “double I love yous.” Yet, the weight of what could have been is ever-present. Janith finds it deeply frustrating, even angering, that younger generations might choose not to vaccinate their children against rubella with the MMR shot. “I know what can happen,” she says, burdened by the memory. “I just don’t want anybody else to go through this.”
Measles’ Swift, Fatal Blow: A Sister’s Loss
Patricia Tobin vividly remembers the day in 1970 when, returning home from work, she heard her mother’s scream. Inside their Miami home, her six-year-old sister, Karen, lay unconscious on the bathroom floor. Karen had contracted measles shortly after Easter. An early measles vaccine existed, but it wasn’t required for school, and their mother hadn’t felt the doctor’s sense of urgency. “She just thought there was time,” Tobin recalls.
But measles moved fast. Karen, described by Tobin as a “very endearing, sweet child” who loved to sing, quickly became gravely ill. After collapsing, Tobin, then 19, called the ambulance. Karen never woke up. “She immediately went into a coma and she died of encephalitis,” Tobin shares, recounting her vigil at her sister’s hospital bedside. “We never did get to speak to her again.”
While today all states require certain vaccinations for school, exemptions (medical, religious, philosophical) are increasingly utilized. Dr. Schaffner notes that the fading memory of past measles outbreaks, combined with the long-discredited fraudulent study falsely linking the MMR vaccine to autism, has contributed to declining vaccination rates. Most states now fall below the critical 95% kindergarten vaccination rate necessary to achieve herd immunity and protect communities from outbreaks. Tobin is deeply troubled by what she sees as a “cavalier” attitude towards measles. “I don’t think that they realize how destructive this is,” she warns.
Polio’s Lasting Grip: The Pain That Returns
Lora Duguay, 68, carries one of her earliest memories: lying in a hospital isolation ward at age three in 1959, her feverish, paralyzed body packed in ice. “I could only see my parents through a glass window. They were crying and I was screaming my head off,” she recounts. Doctors delivered a devastating prognosis: she would never walk or move again. Lora had polio, a disease so feared in the U.S. that during epidemics, terrified parents sometimes kept their children isolated indoors.
Despite the grim prediction, Lora defied expectations. With intensive therapy, she learned to walk and run, albeit with a limp. She married, raised a son, and worked. However, in her early 40s, the disease returned in a different form. She began experiencing weakness and progressive muscle deterioration, diagnosed as post-polio syndrome. One morning, she tried to stand but her left leg wouldn’t move.
Now reliant on a wheelchair, Lora found a new purpose in painting. She adapted her art practice, pulling her chair up to an electric desk to work on smaller surfaces like stones. Art provides her with a vital sense of purpose. Polio is no longer a threat in the U.S., a triumph of public health due to a more effective vaccine than the one Lora received and widespread vaccination coverage that provides robust herd immunity. This community protection prevents the virus from spreading, even if a case is imported, safeguarding individuals who cannot be vaccinated, like infants or those with compromised immune systems.
Whooping Cough’s Swift Cruelty: A Mother’s Advocacy
Every night, Katie Van Tornhout gently rubs a plaster cast of a tiny foot, a tangible link to the daughter she lost to whooping cough at just 37 days old. Callie Grace was born on Christmas Eve 2009, a longed-for baby after five years of trying. Though six weeks early, she was healthy. “She was this perfect baby,” remembers the 40-year-old Indiana mom, noting Callie “loved to have her feet rubbed.”
Just a month old, Callie developed a cough. The doctor initially didn’t think it was serious. But Callie worsened overnight. Back at the doctor’s office, she turned blue and limp in Katie’s arms. A medical team rushed her away. A brief respite came when she took a deep breath and giggled after being patted on the back. At the ER, she turned blue again. For a time, medical interventions helped. But then, she started squirming, a sign of distress, and the medical staff worked frantically. “Within minutes,” Katie says, heartbroken, “she was gone.”
Callie’s viewing fell on her original due date. That same day, the CDC confirmed she had pertussis, or whooping cough. She was too young for her first Tdap vaccine dose and had been exposed by an adult who hadn’t received their booster shot. Today, an urn with Callie’s ashes and a cabinet of mementos sit near the foot cast. Callie remains a part of the family. “My kids to this day will still look up and say, ‘Hey Callie, how are you?’” Katie shares.
Van Tornhout is now a passionate advocate for childhood immunization through the nonprofit Vaccinate Your Family. She shares her story widely, hoping to prevent others from enduring her pain. She once convinced a pregnant customer hesitant about vaccinating her baby by sharing Callie’s story. The woman later returned with her vaccinated infant. “It’s up to us as adults to protect our children,” Katie emphasizes. “I watched my daughter die from something that was preventable… You don’t want to walk in my shoes.”
The Critical Importance of Community Protection
These stories are more than just personal tragedies; they are powerful reminders of what is at stake when vaccine-preventable diseases regain a foothold. Declining vaccination rates don’t just put unvaccinated individuals at risk; they erode herd immunity, the community-wide protection that shields those who cannot be vaccinated, including infants too young to complete their series, individuals with compromised immune systems undergoing medical treatment, and those with severe allergies to vaccine components.
Protecting the vulnerable is a core principle of public health. When vaccination rates drop below critical thresholds, diseases that were once rare reappear, finding unprotected individuals to infect and spread further. The choice to vaccinate extends beyond personal health; it is a fundamental act of community responsibility, particularly towards the most fragile among us.
Frequently Asked Questions
What preventable diseases are reappearing due to lower vaccination rates?
Diseases like measles, whooping cough (pertussis), and rubella are increasingly appearing in communities where vaccination rates have declined. Polio, while still globally a concern, remains absent from the U.S. due to high coverage, but could re-emerge if rates drop significantly. These illnesses can cause severe complications, long-term disabilities, or death, especially in vulnerable populations.
Where can I find reliable information on childhood vaccines?
Trustworthy information about recommended childhood vaccines and their safety comes from reputable public health organizations and medical professionals. Excellent resources include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and your child’s pediatrician or family doctor. These sources provide evidence-based information on vaccine schedules, benefits, and potential side effects.
What are the potential consequences of choosing not to vaccinate my child?
Choosing not to vaccinate your child puts them directly at risk of contracting serious, potentially life-threatening infectious diseases like measles, whooping cough, rubella, and others mentioned in this article. These illnesses can lead to severe complications such as pneumonia, brain damage, paralysis, lifelong disabilities, or even death. Additionally, unvaccinated individuals can spread these diseases to others, including infants too young to be vaccinated, individuals with weakened immune systems, and the elderly, eroding community-wide protection (herd immunity).
A Lesson from the Past
The success of vaccines has been a double-edged sword. It saved countless lives and prevented immense suffering, pushing once-feared diseases to the fringes of memory for many. But for families like the Farnhams, Tobins, Duguays, and Van Tornhouts, the memory is anything but faded. Their stories serve as a powerful, human reminder of the brutal reality of vaccine-preventable diseases. They are living testaments to the critical importance of vaccination, not just for individual health, but as a collective shield protecting the entire community. Ignoring the lessons of the past comes at a profound, often irreversible, human cost.
