Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the measles vaccine

Some recent news stories on the resurgence of measles mentioned children's author, Roald Dahl's connection to the issue. You know Roald Dahl... he wrote many children's stories that have stood the test of time. From Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, to Matilda and James and the Giant Peach*, I daresay most of us reading this blog have read at least one book by him.

After his daughter Olivia died of measles encephalitis, a rare complication of measles, in 1962, Roald eventually became a proponent of the measles vaccine, which wasn't available in the US until 1963 and in the UK until 1968. He even penned a letter to the public in 1988 urging people to vaccinate their children: http://roalddahl.com/roald-dahl/timeline/1960s/november-1962. 

*Did you know that James and the Giant Peach was first illustrated by Milwaukee artist Nancy Burkert Ekholm? 

image from http://wetoowerechildren.blogspot.com/search/label/Nancy%20Ekholm%20Burkert