1968 PSA from the Public Health Service about Measles

1968 PSA from the Public Health Service about Measles and mental disability.

his public service announcement (PSA) was produced by the U.S. Public Health Service (0:59-1:05) in 1968 to encourage parents to vaccinate their children against measles.

Key features of the film:

The Case of Kim Fischer: The film centers on Kim Fischer, who was selected as the "poster girl" for the National Association for Retarded Children (0:03-0:05). The narrator explains that she was a bright child until contracting measles at age two, which led to measles encephalitis—an inflammation of the brain (0:09-0:14).
Advocating for Prevention: The film highlights the severe, life-altering consequences of measles, including mental impairment and defects in vision and hearing (0:15-0:17), noting that thousands of children annually suffered from brain involvement due to the disease (0:23-0:26).
Call to Action: By 1968, an effective vaccine had become available (0:38-0:41). The PSA emphasizes that while the vaccine came too late for children like Kim, it was readily available for the more than 10 million children under 12 who remained unprotected at the time, urging parents to ensure their children were vaccinated in time (0:43-0:57).