Senior citizens in Milwaukee recall their experience with measles following a report of nine cases in Oconto County.
The Clinton Rose Senior Center in Milwaukee, managed by Serving Older Adults, is typically busy with activities and friendly faces.
"Some of us got to talking about it, yes. We'll be like, 'Oh yeah, I remember when I had the measles,'" Linda Shaffer told TMJ4.
Shaffer remembers what it was like when measles was a common childhood illness. She was 8-years-old when she got sick with measles.
"It's (rash) just all over your body, and you as a kid experiencing this, it's like what's going to happen," Shaffer recalled.
It started with her younger brother and quickly spread to eight siblings. Their father kept them out of school for two weeks to avoid spreading the disease.
"You break out with small bumps, and they would be a real red. I'd be itching all over," Shaffed said.
Watch: Seniors share stories of measles, express concern over the disease's return to WI
Measles is highly contagious. Symptoms include fever, cough, and a runny nose, followed by a rash that spreads over the body.
It can also be deadly to the unvaccinated. In 2025, three people died from measles in the United States.
"I never thought that we would go back," Deborah Lewis stated.
Lewis remembers feeling feverish and staying home from school for several days when she was a child.
She believes education is critical since generations of people have never dealt with the disease.
"A lot of people don't know what the measles is. If you ask a normal person on the street, what is measles? They be like I don't know what you're talking about," Lewis said.
Both Lewis and Shaffer emphasized the importance of vaccines as a crucial tool against the illness.
"I think it's very important because I don't know what measles is like today. I don't know if it's worsened from how it was when I was a kid," Shaffer stated.
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