Back to School Vaccinations
Infectious Disease in Holyoke 100 Years Ago
What can we learn from looking at the history of infectious disease in Holyoke? Records dating back to December of 1901 reveal high rates of infections such as measles, diphtheria, typhoid, scarlet fever, and smallpox. At this time, vaccines were not yet developed, so diseases such as these were easily spread. The turn of the 20th century also marked a period of great growth for Holyoke. With a booming manufacturing industry and an influx of new residents, many buildings and schools experienced overcrowding which in turn contributed to rampant outbreaks.
The records kept by the Board of Health between December 1901 and December 1903 were recently analyzed. A total of 1077 cases were recorded, 615 of which were measles, 231 diphtheria, and so on, shown in the pie graph below.
The average age of infected individuals was 8 years old, reflecting the high childhood morbidity and mortality during the time period. The oldest case was 56 years old. The record entries also included residence of cases, which allowed a closer look into which locations of the city saw the highest number of infections. Bridge Street had the most cases, totaling 89 during this two-year period. Interestingly, 72% of all Bridge Street cases were measles infections, all of which occurred between March and July of 1903. This observation suggests an outbreak occurred during this spring/summer season. Given the location, the virus likely had a significant impact on those residing along the canal and paper mills in Ward 1. The graph below shows the trends of infections over time, with a staggering number of measles cases in Spring of 1903.
Today, these diseases no longer pose a burden to the city of Holyoke. The introduction of vaccines in the 20th century greatly reduced the morbidity and mortality of infectious diseases both locally and on a global scale. The findings from this data highlight the critical role of immunizations in protecting the health of our community, especially with new diseases emerging such as COVID-19. It is important to keep children up to date on vaccines such as MMR to prevent illnesses like measles from returning again. As of July 2024, the first measles case in Massachusetts since 2020 has been confirmed in Worcester County. Anyone who is unsure of their vaccination status is encouraged to contact a healthcare provider to receive at least one dose of the MMR vaccine. The resources listed above can help you and your family stay on track with immunizations.
