Bradford, UK 1962
The kitchen door flew open and Carol from next door burst in. Rosemary was sitting at the kitchen table having her tea of egg on toast. She looked at Carol in alarm. Normally she knocked gently before walking in and calling out 'Cooey' like all the other neighbours in their street. Her mother turned from the stove, where she was preparing her husband's meal.
Carol took a deep breath; she looked in distress.
'It's smallpox again, Peggy, you've got to get Rosemary vaccinated straight away.'
Rosemary put down her fork and glanced at her mother, fear washing over her. She knew what vaccinations were, sharp needles, pain and a strong smell of disinfectant but most of all fear. She thought she'd finished with vaccinations so she wouldn’t get polio like Uncle John with his useless arm, or diphtheria like Auntie Betty's baby that no-one mentioned.
Rosemary ran to her mother and clung onto her, she didn't want any more vaccinations. Carol jabbed at Peggy with her finger; she spoke in rasps, her Scottish accent thicker than ever.
'It will be just like Glasgow again. You've got to take her tomorrow Peggy, promise me!'
Rosemary's mother was quite still. She stroked Rosemary's hair and held her close.
'Thank you Carol, I'll talk to Jim this evening. Would you like a cup of tea?'
'Thanks Peggy not now, I've got to go.'
As the door slammed Rosemary burst into tears. She felt frightened.
That night in bed she could hear her parents talking for a long time, they sounded very serious.
Italy 2015
Rosemary tried to concentrate on what the tall man standing in the middle of the room was saying.
Her son Fabio had asked her to come with him to a meeting about the dangers of vaccinations.
The room was full of parents of young babies plus a few grandparents like her who had been brought along for moral support. She heard the man say something about a politician who had refused to disclose whether or not he had vaccinated his son, the dangers of mercury and something about autism.
The kitchen door flew open and Carol from next door burst in. Rosemary was sitting at the kitchen table having her tea of egg on toast. She looked at Carol in alarm. Normally she knocked gently before walking in and calling out 'Cooey' like all the other neighbours in their street. Her mother turned from the stove, where she was preparing her husband's meal.
Carol took a deep breath; she looked in distress.
'It's smallpox again, Peggy, you've got to get Rosemary vaccinated straight away.'
Rosemary put down her fork and glanced at her mother, fear washing over her. She knew what vaccinations were, sharp needles, pain and a strong smell of disinfectant but most of all fear. She thought she'd finished with vaccinations so she wouldn’t get polio like Uncle John with his useless arm, or diphtheria like Auntie Betty's baby that no-one mentioned.
Rosemary ran to her mother and clung onto her, she didn't want any more vaccinations. Carol jabbed at Peggy with her finger; she spoke in rasps, her Scottish accent thicker than ever.
'It will be just like Glasgow again. You've got to take her tomorrow Peggy, promise me!'
Rosemary's mother was quite still. She stroked Rosemary's hair and held her close.
'Thank you Carol, I'll talk to Jim this evening. Would you like a cup of tea?'
'Thanks Peggy not now, I've got to go.'
As the door slammed Rosemary burst into tears. She felt frightened.
That night in bed she could hear her parents talking for a long time, they sounded very serious.
Italy 2015
Rosemary tried to concentrate on what the tall man standing in the middle of the room was saying.
Her son Fabio had asked her to come with him to a meeting about the dangers of vaccinations.
The room was full of parents of young babies plus a few grandparents like her who had been brought along for moral support. She heard the man say something about a politician who had refused to disclose whether or not he had vaccinated his son, the dangers of mercury and something about autism.
Rosemary
and Beppe had had Fabio vaccinated without a qualm, fully
confident in their doctor.
Her mind
kept wandering back to her childhood, how frightened she'd been by her visits
to the clinic, but then how wonderful to be taken for a milk-shake afterwards.
Rosemary wondered
what Edward Jenner would have to say now about his amazing discovery
that had saved so many lives.
Rosemary knew well the intensity of a parent's feeling, the desire to protect children from harm and bring them up to enjoy lifelong good health.
For her mother's generation vaccinations had been considered life savers. For Rosemary's own generation, vaccinations were considered necessary to avoid diseases. Now things were different again.
She closed
her eyes. An unbearable sadness came over her. In that moment all she could see
was her neighbour Carol bursting through the kitchen door
with her terrible pockmarked face.
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