In this episode we dive into the history of measles, a word that originated from Latin misellus, meaning "little miserable". Through a first-hand narrative set in 1912, we witness the devastating impact of measles in a world before vaccines. We explore its linguistic origins, its historical outbreaks, its devastating role in global pandemics, and its surprising influence on everyday language. We also examine the groundbreaking development of the measles vaccine and the modern resurgence of the disease due to vaccine hesitancy. Tune in to uncover the true history behind measles—a word with more baggage than just a rash and fever.

Sources:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – Measles History, Vaccination, and Current Trends
https://www.cdc.gov/measles/

World Health Organization (WHO) – Global Measles Surveillance & Vaccine Impact
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/measles

History of Vaccines – The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
https://www.historyofvaccines.org/

Francis Home’s 1757 Study on Measles as an Infectious Disease – Medical and Historical Archives

The Lancet: Measles and Its Historical Impact on Global Populations
https://www.thelancet.com/

Rhazes (Abu Bakr al-Razi) – Early Medical Writings on Measles and Smallpox
Kitab al-Judari wa al-Hasbah (The Book of Smallpox and Measles)

John Enders & Peebles’ Isolation of the Measles Virus (1954) – Journal of Experimental Medicine

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