As some leaders express doubts about vaccine safety, many parents are choosing to forgo the recommended childhood vaccinations for their little ones. While the conversation often centers around potential side effects of vaccines, what’s frequently overlooked are the severe diseases these vaccines prevent.

Thanks to the successful introduction of vaccines over the past several decades, many once-common childhood diseases have all but been forgotten. Here’s a look at six terrifying illnesses that vaccines have nearly eradicated…and why we should never forget their dangers.

1. Measles: The Highly Contagious Killer

Measles is an incredibly contagious viral infection that spreads through respiratory droplets. Shockingly, if you’re in close contact with an infected person, there’s a staggering 90% chance you could catch it if you aren’t vaccinated. Mary had a little lamb, but it’s not cute when the lamb has measles!

Once a rite of passage for children, measles often leads to severe complications, including pneumonia and encephalitis, particularly threatening for children under five. Prior to the vaccine's introduction in 1963, nearly every child had contracted measles by age 15, resulting in thousands hospitalized and hundreds of deaths annually.

Today, the two-dose MMR vaccine has a 97% efficacy rate against measles, yet immunization rates have dipped below the 95% needed to maintain herd immunity. Alarmingly, CDC reports show around 280,000 kindergarteners are currently unprotected, and outbreaks are on the rise, with 16 reported in 2024 alone compared to just four the previous year.

2. Diphtheria: The Throat-Suffocating Horror

Known as "childhood’s deadly scourge," diphtheria can create a thick gray membrane in the throat, making breathing and swallowing extremely difficult. At its peak in the early 20th century, diphtheria was responsible for severe illness in up to eight children from a single family.

The disease’s toxin can cause serious damage to a child’s heart and nervous system, often leading to death even with treatment. Fortunately, the DTaP vaccine now protects children from diphtheria, reducing annual cases from over 100,000 in the 1920s to negligible levels today.

3. Tetanus: The Muscle-Spasming Nightmare

Imagine witnessing someone with clenched fists and rigid muscles suffering from excruciating spasms. That’s tetanus—a condition caused by bacteria found in soil and feces. If infected, up to 20% of people could die if not treated immediately.

Fortunately, routine vaccinations with the DTaP vaccine have dramatically decreased yearly cases from over 500 in the 1940s to fewer than 50 since 2000!

4. Mumps: The Silent Infector

Mumps is infamous for causing swollen salivary glands, giving patients a “chipmunk” appearance. However, this stealthy virus can be particularly dangerous for adults, leading to complications such as swollen testicles, ovaries, or even deafness.

With a 99% decrease in cases since the MMR vaccine was introduced in 1967, it’s easy to forget about mumps. Yet, since 2006, annual cases have surpassed 1,000 multiple times, reminding us that complacency can lead to a resurgence.

5. Rubella: The Hidden Threat

Often mistaken as a mild illness, rubella poses severe risks, especially for pregnant women, where it can lead to serious birth defects. Before vaccination became routine in 1969, the U.S. experienced rubella outbreaks every 6 to 9 years. The vaccine has driven annual cases down to a meager six in 2020, primarily from imported infections.

6. Polio: The Boogeyman of Parenthood

In the 1950s, polio struck terror into parents, with fears of children ending up paralyzed or worse after attending summer camps. This viral disease can be harbored without symptoms, yet it can lead to paralysis or death, impacting over half a million people worldwide each year.

Vaccination efforts have successfully decreased polio cases dramatically, but it’s critical to note that the disease still poses a significant threat in some regions of the globe.

As we become increasingly removed from the realities of these diseases, it’s vital to remember their dangers and the importance of maintaining high vaccination rates. While vaccines save lives, complacency could mean we risk reintroducing these horrific childhood scourges. Let's keep the memories alive and protect our future generations!