Part

of the reason why some parents are reluctant to vaccinate children is because so few can remember how awful diseases such as mumps and measles are. I had mumps as a young child — not only that, I gave it to my mum, who was pregnant with my brother at the time.

I can still remember how thoroughly miserable we both were, her in particular.

Measles is far nastier and can cause blindness, while rubella can lead to devastating problems in unborn children. Vaccinations are like antibiotics — we take them for granted, but the world would be a much harsher place without them.