Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Health Sciences and Technology Library: Rashes to Research Exhibition
National Library of Medicine (NLM) Traveling Exhibit
We are hosting a traveling exhibition from the National Library of Medicine! Rashes to Research: Scientists and Parents Confront the 1964 Rubella Epidemic will be on display at the VTCSOM Library and FBRI Library from April 29, 2024 to June 8, 2024.
www.nlm.nih.gov/rashestoresearch
As the rubella epidemic raged in 1964, 20,000 children were born with serious heart, hearing, and vision problems related to rubella exposure during pregnancy. While the nation’s scientists rushed to create a vaccine and develop better screening tests, families faced difficult decisions about current and future pregnancies. Rashes to Research: Scientists and Parents Confront the 1964 Rubella Epidemic highlights the work of researchers and parents to respond to rubella in the years before an effective vaccine nearly eliminated the disease from the United States.
Events
Medicine & Society in Times of a Pandemic: Panel Discussion
Join us for a thought-provoking discussion as our panelists examine the social and cultural history of epidemics in the last century. Spanning from the Spanish flu to the more recent challenges of rubella, polio, and Covid-19. Discover the lessons learned from each epidemic, and the evolution of public health responses, and explore how the experiences from the past can inform future health responses.
Date, Time, & Location
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
12:00 - 1:00 PM
4 Riverside Circle, Rm G101 A&B
In person and via Zoom
** LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED TO THE FIRST 25 IN-PERSON REGISTRANTS **
Please register here: https://calendar.lib.vt.edu/event/12351666
Panelists
- Thomas Ewing, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of History and Office of the Dean
Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research - Carla V. Finkielstein, Ph.D.
Scientific Director, Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory
Professor, Department of Biological Sciences - Laura L. Hungerford, DVM, MPH, PhD, CPH
Professor and Head, Department of Population Health Sciences and VT Public Health Program
Highlights from the Exhibit
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Symptoms of rubella, also called roëthln, German measles, or three-day measles, include a cold-like illness with a low fever followed by a rash. However, many people who get rubella will have no symptoms. Detail of “Differential Diagnosis of Rash Illnesses,” Merck Sharp & Dohme, 1983 |
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Two researchers at the National Institutes of Health, Doctors Harry M. Meyer, Jr. and Paul Parkman, developed a vaccine and a better blood test to screen people for rubella. Doctors Harry M. Meyer, Jr. (1928-2001), left, and Paul Parkman (b. 1932), right, developed the rubella vaccine, Bethesda, Maryland, 1967 |
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The American Heart Association issued this pamphlet for the parents of children born with heart defects. It helped parents of children with CRS (congenital rubella syndrome) and other conditions navigate a complex medical system and understand recommended medical procedures. If Your Child Has a Congenital Heart Defect, American Heart Association, New York, 1967 |
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Promotional materials for the rubella education and screening campaign focused on the risk to “tomorrow’s” children. Advertisement from the Oregon State Department of Public Health and March of Dimes, undated |