Story from last weeks Marcus paper…
Communicable diseases of children are directly responsible for some of the abnormal heart and kidney conditions which appear in early life. Such can come from smallpox and diphtheria which children can easily be prevented from getting them. Parents who have not had their children vaccinated, should act now.
The Cherokee County Medical Society, in compliance with the school authorities and the Iowa State Department of Health, is now sponsoring a smallpox and diphtheria immunization campaign for school children and pre-school children in the County. During the period of February 15 to March 30, the doctors of Cherokee County will be prepared to give treatments in their offices during their office hours from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on all week days at a reduced price. Families are urged to make arrangements with their family doctors. Literature is being sent in the books of school children. Parents are urged to take advantage of these immunizations.
July 8, 1937 “Over 4,000 School Children in County”. A report was given by the Cherokee County nurse that there were over 4,000 school children in the county that should receive the vaccine for smallpox as well as diphtheria. Did this report do any good?
October 19, 1939 “Vaccination Campaign to Prevent Smallpox”. Plans for a countywide vaccination campaign to prevent smallpox were announced today by the Cherokee County Medical Society. The drive will be held October 23 to October 28, inclusive.
It was discussed that at a recent meeting the Society voted to cooperate with the Iowa State Medical Society and the Iowa State Department of Health in a statewide movement to eradicate this disease.
In making this announcement, the Medical Society declared, “Iowa has had far too much smallpox. This disease has killed infants, scarred adults, kept the breadwinner from his work and where epidemics have raged and injured business in the community.
“There is no need for smallpox. It is among the most preventable of the diseases known in medical science, yet it thrives in Iowa. Modern vaccination, which is simply a painless application of vaccine to a slightly roughened area of skin will prevent this disease. The trouble is that vaccination has not been given a fair chance in this state.”
The Medical Society based this latter statement upon statistics collected by the state health department which show that approximately 11,000 Iowans have had smallpox during this past nine years, more than one out of every 13 cases of smallpox reported in the United States last year recurred in Iowa and almost 1,100 cases were reported in 1938 in the state.
“It is remarkable that with all these cases, there has not been a wild, uncontrollable epidemic of this disease throughout the state,” the Society maintained. “One case of smallpox is a potential epidemic where populations are not protected because the disease is highly contagious and quickly spread from person to person.
“Isolation measures seemed to have restrained the disease to a slight degree, but depending upon this type of control is like putting the cart before the horse. Prevention comes first, isolation comes second. Erecting a wall of vaccination to block future epidemics is the goal in Cherokee county.”
In addition to smallpox vaccination, the Society has decided to institute a diphtheria immunization program at the same time for youngsters or at pre-school age who have not as yet been immunized against diphtheria.
Both the smallpox vaccinations and the diphtheria immunizations can be done at the same time. Contact your doctor or make arrangements for this service during the week of 23 to October 28 inclusive.
July 16, 1942-“Protect Yourself Against Smallpox and Diphtheria”. Are you protected against smallpox and diphtheria? If not-do it now! Preventive measures are less expensive then quarantines and scars. Conserve your health and time as well as the doctor’s.
A fight against smallpox and diphtheria will be started soon in Cherokee county, when a six week’s immunization program will be sponsored by the Red Cross and County Medical Society, in which the Iowa State Department of Health is requesting.
There was a Request Slip that had to be filled out: I hereby request that each person recorded below be immunized at the location checked.
Spaces were given for names of Child or Adult followed by their age, and Smallpox or Diphtheria or both. Place to check was Aurelia, Cleghorn, Quimby, Washta, Marcus. Townships were named as well as Grand Meadow. Parents or Guardians were to sign and send to County Nurse at Cherokee, Iowa.
July 25, 1942-“Fight Against Smallpox and Diphtheria in County”. A fight against the dread diseases smallpox and diphtheria will be launched in Cherokee county about the middle of July when a six weeks immunization program will be sponsored by the American Red Cross.
Especially in the rural communities, in time of war, there is a shortage of physicians, which makes it deeply important to guard against any threat of epidemic. The immunizations are especially for children but will also be open to adults.
The charge of $1.50 is charged, but those unable to pay will be taken care of by the Red Cross.
May 11, 1944-“Immunization of Children to be Held Here May 24”. Local agencies interested in child health and protection are now sponsoring a smallpox and diphtheria prevention program in our community. The County Society physicians are working together with a local sponsoring agency, the school authorities, and the Iowa State Department of Health. Unprotected children may obtain protection as follows:
Story will continue next week.
Dr. Joynt will give treatments in the Community Hall, Wednesday, May 24 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Smallpox and diphtheria, although preventable, are even today two of the communicable diseases commonly commonly attacking non-immune persons of all ages. Records show that in Iowa during the ten-year period 1932-1941, persons known to have had small pox in Iowa numbered 7,077 and 3,787 had diphtheria.
Surveys show that except in a very few communities far too few children in Iowa are protected against these diseases to prevent the possibility of serious epidemics. The records also show that 31% of all smallpox and 42% of all diphtheria in Iowa occur in children under six years of age. Furthermore the ratio of deaths to cases is much higher in this age group.
All children should be immunized against small pox and diphtheria before their first birthday and certainly before starting to school.
Immunization protects the individual for many years. Public health authorities recommend vaccinations of children against smallpox upon entrance to school and at least five to seven years thereafter. These preventive treatments are safe and almost painless. They stimulate the child’s body to produce nature’s protective substances against these diseases.
Two years ago Marcus put on the biggest program in the county doing approximately 180 treatments in two and one half hours, reports D. Frerike R.N. County Nurse.
August 11, 1949 “Guard Against Disease”. “The best health insurance you can give your baby is to see that he/she gets vaccinations and immunizations against smallpox, diphtheria, whooping cough, and other viruses during his first year of his life,” states an extension and health nurse from Kansas state. There is help to prevent whooping couch as early as two and a half years old. At two months, smallpox vaccinations can be given as well as for diphtheria. (Up to this time, the age of 2 months was never given for smallpox and diphtheria vaccinations. This young age could make parents think twice.)
April 26, 1951 “From the Desk of the Superintendent”. Arrangements are now being worked out that all children in the County of school age who desire it can be immunized for smallpox and diphtheria. It is hoped that the project can be carried out in each town in the County with the cooperation of the local physicians and the cost per child can be kept somewhat between one and two dollars. In the near future, each pupil in the public school will bring home a letter explaining this program. At that time those parents who would like to have their child take part in this program can indicate their desires and if enough interest is shown, a definite effort will be made to provide the service.
NOW For The First Time_an insurance policy has come to light! Clarence F. Beck of Marcus has announced in an ad about the New!A Only policy of its kind today! Cancer and Polio Insurance that includes Smallpox and Diphtheria, Tetanus, Encephalitis, Scarlet Fever, etc. It costs $10.00 with no Waiting Period. Just Think! Less than 3 cents a day! No maximum age; even persons over 50 pay only $3 additional.
It didn’t take long before another insurance policy with Whealon (from Farmers State Bank) was offered to the public. And, still not much longer, another policy came in an ad with Strampe/Whealon on it. Both these policies offered the same protection and certainly taking the right time to insure those who had problems with smallpox or diphtheria.
There were ads back in 1918 and 1920 advertising help to get rid of wrinkles and the pit marks left from smallpox. Nothing was said in these insurance policies of helping to pay the person who said these smallpox victims could be helped_if there really was a person who could clear up these smallpox marks!
I did some calling to ask people if they were given the smallpox vaccination. I know I had it as I still have my scar on my left leg. When calling some of my classmates, I found one had had the vaccination before going to a rural school, but the mark was gone. Another one said she still had her mark on her leg.
I asked another woman about the vaccination. She had one on her shoulder. I called an older woman in Remsen. She had had her vaccination in the 30’s and on her shoulder. Then I called someone that was the same age as my middle sister. No, she did not have a mark. I don’t think my two sisters had the smallpox vaccination, as I don’t recall a mark on them. I wonder if I had the vaccination sometime in the 1940’s and my parents thought my sisters were too young to get vaccinated. I’ll never know about this.
I did find out that in the southeast corner of the cemetery in Cherokee, this area is for burials of those with smallpox. No ground was to be dug in this area for 100 years as it was believed that the virus was still live. Interesting!
With all the controversy about people now having to get a COVID vaccination, the smallpox vaccination didn’t seem to be questioned.