Vaccines Matter: Measles and Its Complications

When I was seven, my eldest brother, Sammy, was diagnosed with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) - a sequela of measles infection. He rapidly deteriorated into a vegetative state. Looking back, the bulk of my childhood consisted of mixing nasogastric feeds for him and assisting with his physical therapy alongside my grandfather to prevent worsening contractures. It was extremely traumatic, to say the least. Watching my own brother gradually lose his ability to speak, seeing his lifeless, glassy doll eyes, and witnessing his body become an empty vessel was devastating. He eventually became so cachectic that his bones and joints were accentuated. His body deteriorated, fingers fixed in constant flexion, and his limbs ridden with contractures. Sammy ultimately passed away when I was 17, after living for 10 years with SSPE.