Editing 1950: Chicken Pox and Name Statistics
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This is another comic with one of [[Randall|Randall's]] [[:Category:Fun fact|fun facts]]. | This is another comic with one of [[Randall|Randall's]] [[:Category:Fun fact|fun facts]]. | ||
β | In this comic statistics are used to point out some non-intuitive correlations. The first panel sketches out the prevalence of {{w|Chickenpox|chicken pox}} by age in the | + | In this comic statistics are used to point out some non-intuitive correlations. The first panel sketches out the prevalence of {{w|Chickenpox|chicken pox}} by age in the United States. <br /> |
β | As the graph indicates, prior to the introduction of the {{w|Varicella vaccine|varicella vaccine}} in the United States, it was an exceptionally common childhood illness, with almost 100% of the population experiencing it at some point. The illness is highly memorable (since the symptoms last for days and are intensely uncomfortable) and noticeable (since the characteristic blisters are distinctive and difficult to hide), meaning that it was once a common experience that people expected to both experience and see in their peers. <br /> | + | As the graph indicates, prior to the introduction of the {{w|Varicella vaccine|varicella vaccine}} in the {{w|United States}}, it was an exceptionally common childhood illness, with almost 100% of the population experiencing it at some point. The illness is highly memorable (since the symptoms last for days and are intensely uncomfortable) and noticeable (since the characteristic blisters are distinctive and difficult to hide), meaning that it was once a common experience that people expected to both experience and see in their peers. <br /> |
As the vaccine became widespread in the US, rates of varicella infection declined dramatically, and new infections are now relatively uncommon. The graph points out that this has led to a fundamental shift in experiences by age. For an American over the age of 30, nearly all your peers growing up would have had chicken pox. For an American under the age of 10, virtually none of them would have had it. This means that older people are likely to think of chicken pox as a normal part of life, while children are likely to have no experience with it, and may not even know what it is. | As the vaccine became widespread in the US, rates of varicella infection declined dramatically, and new infections are now relatively uncommon. The graph points out that this has led to a fundamental shift in experiences by age. For an American over the age of 30, nearly all your peers growing up would have had chicken pox. For an American under the age of 10, virtually none of them would have had it. This means that older people are likely to think of chicken pox as a normal part of life, while children are likely to have no experience with it, and may not even know what it is. | ||