Call The Midwife

[Homethroughthepuddles]

Surprised there's no thread on this. Did anyone watch it last night or has the series reached its natural end and is no longer attracting viewers?

Shelagh looked anxious about vaccinating Teddy, didn’t she?
Good point about McGann, he's done a lot of research, and has written a book as well.

So, do you reckon McGann does the research on relevant medical breakthroughs and obs/gynae issues for the era and then his wife weaves them into the stories?

I think so. I read an article by him about sepsis, and they put it into the storyline - it killed Barbara.

I was born in 1960 and didn’t have a measles vaccine. Got it at 9 and have never been so ill. My hearing was never the same afterwards. Iklboo my Sooty glove puppet was a source of great comfort to me also as a child and luckily I managed not to upchuck on him.

I was born in 1970 and had a measles vaccine. Also mumps.

@LIZS In around series 3 or 4 - when the stories were still based on Jennifer Worth’s books - I seem to remember that they did pull in some non-maternity related stories, but they weren’t that popular.

The beach was a great idea and very successful.
I couldn't help thinking these days it would be really expensive and no use to those who can't afford to get to Southend.
They have 'beaches' like that in Sheffield and Nottingham in the summer.

My daughter (born 1980) had measles before she was old enough for the vaccination, fortunately she was fine.

I was born in 1955 and nearly everyone got mumps, measles and German measles (rubella) in my childhood.

I had the measles vaccine in the 70s and then got measles when I was 18. Apparently the efficacy is reduced over time but it shouldn't matter too much because in theory it's getting rarer in the population as a whole. But I was working with children, and even back in the 90s there were flare ups because of a lack of vaccination so I caught it. I wasn't seriously ill but I felt awful, and the GP was astonished that I had it and didn't recognise it at first. He had to look up what advice to give me in a book (no internet back then!).

I was born in 1971 and I guess I didn't have the measles vaccine because I caught measles as a kid. I was pretty young though so don't remember it and luckily didn't have any lasting effects. It's a scary illness though. McGann said at several a talk I went to that people think of it like chicken pox, few spots and you're done. They've forgotten what a horrid and dangerous illness it is.

Born 1963 and caught measles aged 5. I remember being very ill and having to lie in the dark.

people think of it like chicken pox, few spots and you're done

Which would be a misunderstanding of chicken pox too. It kills children.

A friend of mine caught the measles aged 5 (early 70s) and lost the sight in one eye.

I don't remember anyone having measles. I assume that I was vaccinated (born 1968). One of my early childhood memories is of having a vaccintion, and for some reason I think it was measles. I must have asked my mum about it years later and she said "it was probably for measles" so I wonder if there was some kind of vaccination programme that I was part of.

Born 1964. No vaccine. Had measles. And mumps.

BTW -=what is the difference between German measles andmeasles ?

Ive has German measles twice. From memory, it is usually very mild (unless you are pregnant). I think it's only called German measles because of a similar rash.

German measles is caused by the rubella virus, measles is caused by the measles virus.

Isitmybathtimeyet fair point.

German Measles, properly called Rubella is relatively mild and passesin 2 or 3 days. It has a red rash. I had it twice, begire bring vaccinated in teenage girls school nurse programme when I was at secondary school(1980s). It’s not serious unless you are pg, but can cause deafness and blindness in unborn babies.

Measles is a different virus. Also comes with a rash, but also fluey symptoms, high temperature and can have some horrible complications.

I was born in 74 but had measles at around 7 or 8. Maybe it wasn’t widely available? My parents are pro vaccine so I’m sure I would have been vaccinated if it was offered.

Reading this:
publichealthengland.exposure.co/50-years-of-measles-vaccination-in-the-uk

Measles vaccine was introduced 1968, but wasn't hugely taken up (rates fell, transmission didn't) It seems that it wasn't really in a programme as such until the MMR (1988), there was a high vaccine uptake of 93%.

Then good old Wakefield came along in 1998, uptake tumbled.

It then took until 2016 before measles was eliminated in UK. (Elimination = 95% uptake with two doses of a measles-containing vaccine.)

Do you know, I've no idea if I was vaccinated or had measles.

I was born in 1963 and was part of the measles vaccine trial in 1964. We had a letter every year asking if I'd had measles, until I was well into my late 20s. I never got measles.

Red the single measles jab was on the schedule and given at 13 months prior to the MMR. My DC1 and DC2 were offered only the singles and it wasn't until DC2 was 1 in 1990 that they were all offered MMR.

They've had a few non-maternity stories along the way. Roy Hudd and his leg ulcers, Annette Crosbie last week, Barbara and the sepsis as mentioned above, Sister Monica Joan's mental infirmity (albeit that comes and goes), Reggie's mum dying and what to do about his long-term home/care, poor Sister Mary Cynthia getting assaulted and later her depression, the sailor everyone thought had smallpox but turned out to have leprosy.

(Spot who binge watched CTM over Christmas!)

I wonder when midwifery and District nursing separated? Some of my older patients think I deliver babies as well (I'm a community nurse) they're surprised when I tell them it's a completely different speciality! !

Maybe it wasn't the measles vaccine my uncle had then, he was around 4yo and was part of a clinical trial. My nan and grandad thought he was going to die he was so ill.

Seeing all the lads zooming off on their scooters at the end of the episode made me think of the mods and rockers. Then I realised that the famous fights between them at Brighton and other beaches was that bank holiday in May 1964. I really like the attention to detail in this series.