I've had all those diseases--measles, mumps and rubella. Also chicken pox (varicella). We used to have these childhood "parties" to get exposed, so we could get it over with faster. Mumps was pretty miserable.

Measles isn't as dangerous as rubella, for pregnant women that can give unborn babies nasty birth defects. All this was before the vaccines were available. I remember getting polio vaccine in a sugar cube, and we had polio kids in school in leg braces. My mom used to work with the iron lungs during the polio epidemic.

Yes, vaccinations are important. Kids can't start public kindergarten here without them (I don't think they get a 'religious exemption' but not quite sure). Was surprised they added varicella to the mandatory list, though.

oh yeah, I also have a smallpox scar. But then, I'm older than dirt.