Infection and ensuing immunity to certain diseases could induce people to go out and seek them, early. Many of us would be familiar with some parents' desiring early immunity of their children, whether through infection or vaccination.
The economic reason being the costs of such disease like the measles and mumps are higher when infected later in life, for instance severe scarring. The disproportionately higher incidence of such disease amongst young children (before vaccination became an almost costless alternative) may partly be attributed to parents deliberately inviting these diseases upon their loved ones!!
This reminds me of a quote from the German writer Rainer Maria Rilke. I happen to share my birth date with him (more accurately, day and month, not year - predated me by a mere 105 years!).
"Love is like the measles. The older you get it, the worse the attack"
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