So. Keep my mouth shut? Be discrete? Or turtles?

themuffinman16

I am just wondering, about this, and sorry to hijack the thread. Can people with compromised immune systems get sick if they have all ready been vaccinated for those diseases?  I have an aunt who is a paraplegic, and she battles illness and infections frequently because she has poor circulation and compromised immune system. Her health is very poor, as of late.  If she comes to my brothers wedding ,should I tell her that my sister's child is not vaccinated to let her know of the risks? My BIL is a photographer and travels through international airports, so I think their child could have an elevated risk for exposure.

yogapants

@themuffinman16 the only way to really know if she's immune is for her to get her titers checked. But that's true for everyone. I know someone (healthy, not immunocompromised) who has been repeatedly vaccinated for measles and still shows no immunity to it.

MyNameIsNot

levioosa said:

swiftsticks said:

mikenberger, I think you're being a great host and have done everything in your power to keep people informed of the situation. You're not crazy, you're being responsible. 

I'm an adult with no children who was invited a birthday of a 1 year old. On the invitation, right below the RSVP info, was a little picture of a needle next to the words "No poke, no play". I guess this is the new reality.

I think I've mentioned before that at one of my early birthday parties, a mom brought her kid with chicken pox and nearly the whole party came down with it (this was pre-varicella vaccination).  One of the dads ended up in the hospital for over a week and almost died because of it.  Later, when I was home schooled, I heard of "pox parties" and as someone who had suffered from chicken pox, I thought it was the stupidest thing ever.  Why voluntarily expose yourself?  Getting chicken pox sucked so much.  **Oh, and not every homeschooler was anti-vax; sadly though, it seems to be a spot where a lot of them hang out, and gives the rest of us a bad name.

Ugh. Everyone did this when I was a kid. It was before there was a vaccine for chicken pox, and the conventional wisdom at the time was that the younger you were, the lighter your case would be. So one kid would get it and all the parents would drag all their younger children over to be exposed. 

I guess everyone figured you were going to get it at some point, so you might as well get it over with, but then there were always a handful of parents that had never had it and would keep their distance. I'll never understand why just keeping your distance wasn't an option for the kids. 

Cookie Pusher

My parents desperately wanted me to get chicken pox when I was a kid. No one had pox parties, but I did spend a significant amount of time during my childhood tutoring all the kids who were out of school with chicken pox. Never got it, and neither did my younger sisters. Clearly, we're mutant of some kind.

TrixieJess

Cookie Pusher said:

My parents desperately wanted me to get chicken pox when I was a kid. No one had pox parties, but I did spend a significant amount of time during my childhood tutoring all the kids who were out of school with chicken pox. Never got it, and neither did my younger sisters. Clearly, we're mutant of some kind.

I was 6 when I had Chicken Pox (during the '84 Summer Olympics). Almost died. Had to be hospitalised for dehydration because of my fever. Yep, not a life threatening disease...I was quarantined for 2 weeks, unless the other kids had had it already. I was very lonely.

flbride2015

Anti-vaxxers are the worst. I especially hate the argument "more people have died from the measles vaccine than from measles." Well not freaking duh, Sherlock! That's because of vaccines! Compare the deaths from measles PRIOR to the vaccine, not after. Jerks.

FiancB

I need to get my titers checked. I don't think I ever had chicken pox and holy shit, varicella enecephalitis is scary. Yeah, just a little disease. My ass. Rotavirus landed me in the hospital for days for dehydration, and Measles and whoopin cough are heartbreaking to watch. Measles is ridiculously contagious- if I remember right, it lives in the room for several hours after the person left.

Women tend to carry herd immunity because of these pregnancy screenings. Men don't do that very often, but nbd since roughly half the population does. Until now...

levioosa

FiancB said:

I need to get my titers checked. I don't think I ever had chicken pox and holy shit, varicella enecephalitis is scary. Yeah, just a little disease. My ass. Rotavirus landed me in the hospital for days for dehydration, and Measles and whoopin cough are heartbreaking to watch. Measles is ridiculously contagious- if I remember right, it lives in the room for several hours after the person left.

Women tend to carry herd immunity because of these pregnancy screenings. Men don't do that very often, but nbd since roughly half the population does. Until now...

It really frustrates me when people say these diseases aren't "a big deal."  Sure, go and tell someone in another country who desperately needs the polio vaccine that they are better off without it.  Go tell someone who has watched a love one die of tetanus that it's a good thing they didn't get the "poison" vaccine.  I have even more rage for anti-vaxxers who think that the diseases are a government conspiracy.  People need to learn how to science. 

theartistformerlyknownas

TrixieJess said:

Cookie Pusher said:

My parents desperately wanted me to get chicken pox when I was a kid. No one had pox parties, but I did spend a significant amount of time during my childhood tutoring all the kids who were out of school with chicken pox. Never got it, and neither did my younger sisters. Clearly, we're mutant of some kind.

I was 6 when I had Chicken Pox (during the '84 Summer Olympics). Almost died. Had to be hospitalised for dehydration because of my fever. Yep, not a life threatening disease...I was quarantined for 2 weeks, unless the other kids had had it already. I was very lonely.

Mine sent me to the ER. Got them in my throat; swelled up so badly I couldn't breathe.

JennyColada

Hey, random slightly-related but kinda-unrelated question:

DH and I are thinking of TTC in a couple of years, should I consider getting my vaccine levels checked? Should DH? Can I just go to my GP and ask about this, or do I need to see someone special?

theartistformerlyknownas

JennyColada said:

Hey, random slightly-related but kinda-unrelated question:

DH and I are thinking of TTC in a couple of years, should I consider getting my vaccine levels checked? Should DH? Can I just go to my GP and ask about this, or do I need to see someone special?

My OB/GYN did this as standard practice when I told her we were about to start TTC, but she's generally very proactive. My GP offered but it was already done.

sophhabobopha

DHFHGZDFGJYHFGDXVCBGH. Why are people anti-vaxx? How can you possibly be so incredibly stupid?

JennyColada

lolo883 said:

JennyColada said:

Hey, random slightly-related but kinda-unrelated question:

DH and I are thinking of TTC in a couple of years, should I consider getting my vaccine levels checked? Should DH? Can I just go to my GP and ask about this, or do I need to see someone special?

My OB/GYN did this as standard practice when I told her we were about to start TTC, but she's generally very proactive. My GP offered but it was already done.

Ok cool, good to know.

I'm pretty unexcited by my GYN, and considering that I have 1-2 paps before TTC, I think I might skip around offices to find one that I'm more passionate about.

sophhabobopha

lolo883 said:

TrixieJess said:

Cookie Pusher said:

My parents desperately wanted me to get chicken pox when I was a kid. No one had pox parties, but I did spend a significant amount of time during my childhood tutoring all the kids who were out of school with chicken pox. Never got it, and neither did my younger sisters. Clearly, we're mutant of some kind.

I was 6 when I had Chicken Pox (during the '84 Summer Olympics). Almost died. Had to be hospitalised for dehydration because of my fever. Yep, not a life threatening disease...I was quarantined for 2 weeks, unless the other kids had had it already. I was very lonely.

Mine sent me to the ER. Got them in my throat; swelled up so badly I couldn't breathe.

I've never had it. /:

TrixieJess

JennyColada said:

Hey, random slightly-related but kinda-unrelated question:

DH and I are thinking of TTC in a couple of years, should I consider getting my vaccine levels checked? Should DH? Can I just go to my GP and ask about this, or do I need to see someone special?

Your doctor will check your levels. It's part of the standard prenatal bloodwork.

madamerwin

JennyColada said:

Hey, random slightly-related but kinda-unrelated question:

DH and I are thinking of TTC in a couple of years, should I consider getting my vaccine levels checked? Should DH? Can I just go to my GP and ask about this, or do I need to see someone special?

Yes, it's standard to have a blood work done if you tell them you are TTC or will be soon. My screening was part of a much larger blood panel (part of IVF pre-screening), so they checked everything: various hormones, immunity levels, STD panel, white blood cell count, vitamin levels, and at least 10 others things that I can't even remember. Everything was normal except for my lack of immunity to chicken pox.

When my sister was TTC, she was going to a naturopath who didn't suggest blood work. So, when she had blood drawn at one of her first pregnancy checks, they found out she, like me, was not immune to chicken pox. But since you can't get vaccinated while pregnant, she had to wait until the baby was born.

theartistformerlyknownas

tfmrserwin said:

JennyColada said:

Hey, random slightly-related but kinda-unrelated question:

DH and I are thinking of TTC in a couple of years, should I consider getting my vaccine levels checked? Should DH? Can I just go to my GP and ask about this, or do I need to see someone special?

Yes, it's standard to have a blood work done if you tell them you are TTC or will be soon. My screening was part of a much larger blood panel (part of IVF pre-screening), so they checked everything: various hormones, immunity levels, STD panel, white blood cell count, vitamin levels, and at least 10 others things that I can't even remember. Everything was normal except for my lack of immunity to chicken pox.

When my sister was TTC, she was going to a naturopath who didn't suggest blood work. So, when she had blood drawn at one of her first pregnancy checks, they found out she, like me, was not immune to chicken pox. But since you can't get vaccinated while pregnant, she had to wait until the baby was born.

I think it's less standard than you think, and not just naturopaths who don't suggest it. There was a thread about this a few months ago where quite a few posters said they mentioned pre-conception testing and got looked at like they sprouted a third eyeball. 

madamerwin

lolo883 said:

tfmrserwin said:

JennyColada said:

Hey, random slightly-related but kinda-unrelated question:

DH and I are thinking of TTC in a couple of years, should I consider getting my vaccine levels checked? Should DH? Can I just go to my GP and ask about this, or do I need to see someone special?

Yes, it's standard to have a blood work done if you tell them you are TTC or will be soon. My screening was part of a much larger blood panel (part of IVF pre-screening), so they checked everything: various hormones, immunity levels, STD panel, white blood cell count, vitamin levels, and at least 10 others things that I can't even remember. Everything was normal except for my lack of immunity to chicken pox.

When my sister was TTC, she was going to a naturopath who didn't suggest blood work. So, when she had blood drawn at one of her first pregnancy checks, they found out she, like me, was not immune to chicken pox. But since you can't get vaccinated while pregnant, she had to wait until the baby was born.

I think it's less standard than you think, and not just naturopaths who don't suggest it. There was a thread about this a few months ago where quite a few posters said they mentioned pre-conception testing and got looked at like they sprouted a third eyeball. 

Interesting. More people I know than not have had some sort of blood work done before TTC, but maybe they were the ones requesting it (not the doctors). I know in my case, all of the testing was standard procedure and not even a choice, but with IVF they do a lot more screening to rule out various problems. 

Either way - if you've never had chicken pox, or had a super light case, it would definitely be worthwhile to get an antibody titer. Adult chicken pox (or worse, getting them when pregnant) can be really dangerous.

theartistformerlyknownas

tfmrserwin said:

Interesting. More people I know than not have had some sort of blood work done before TTC, but maybe they were the ones requesting it (not the doctors). I know in my case, all of the testing was standard procedure and not even a choice, but with IVF they do a lot more screening to rule out various problems. 

Either way - if you've never had chicken pox, or had a super light case, it would definitely be worthwhile to get an antibody titer. Adult chicken pox (or worse, getting them when pregnant) can be really dangerous.

Totally agree! Especially since that's the only way your baby has a chance at that passive immunity - if you're not immune, your baby can't be either, and then they're at great risk through infancy. I think everyone should just plan on asking for the test. Best case you're pleasantly surprised when your doctor is already on top of it.

ETF GD MF boxes.

charlieyankee03

Late to the thread, but I'm confused. 

I thought you couldn't attend public school without being vaccinated. I remember when we moved and my parents had to provide shot records for me before I could enroll. 

Is that not a thing anymore? Are all anti-vaxxers homeschooling their kids?

banana468

charlieyankee03 said:

Late to the thread, but I'm confused. 

I thought you couldn't attend public school without being vaccinated. I remember when we moved and my parents had to provide shot records for me before I could enroll. 

Is that not a thing anymore? Are all anti-vaxxers homeschooling their kids?

You do but I think the child in the OP's situation is 14 mo.

You're also supposed to be vaccinated if you're attending a licensed daycare in the state of CT as well.   The issue is that some people claim religious exemptions and pick and choose the vaccines that they give to their children.

theartistformerlyknownas

charlieyankee03 said:

Late to the thread, but I'm confused. 

I thought you couldn't attend public school without being vaccinated. I remember when we moved and my parents had to provide shot records for me before I could enroll. 

Is that not a thing anymore? Are all anti-vaxxers homeschooling their kids?

Not in every state.

mellowmarshmallow

48 states offer religious exemptions to mandatory vaccination. 20 also offer "personal belief" exemptions to the anti-vaxxer set. can you guess who just got done writing a paper on vaccine policy for class tonight?

madamerwin

charlieyankee03 said:

Late to the thread, but I'm confused. 

I thought you couldn't attend public school without being vaccinated. I remember when we moved and my parents had to provide shot records for me before I could enroll. 

Is that not a thing anymore? Are all anti-vaxxers homeschooling their kids?

Different states have different requirements. Some states allow "Philosophical Objections" (AKA Personal Belief Exemptions). That's what many anti-vaxxers use to enroll their kids in public schools without being vaccinated.

Here's a list of states that allow various exemptions by type.

Edited because words are hard.

charlieyankee03

Thanks for the knowledge ladies! 

AuroraRose41

levioosa said:

FiancB said:

I need to get my titers checked. I don't think I ever had chicken pox and holy shit, varicella enecephalitis is scary. Yeah, just a little disease. My ass. Rotavirus landed me in the hospital for days for dehydration, and Measles and whoopin cough are heartbreaking to watch. Measles is ridiculously contagious- if I remember right, it lives in the room for several hours after the person left.

Women tend to carry herd immunity because of these pregnancy screenings. Men don't do that very often, but nbd since roughly half the population does. Until now...

It really frustrates me when people say these diseases aren't "a big deal."  Sure, go and tell someone in another country who desperately needs the polio vaccine that they are better off without it.  Go tell someone who has watched a love one die of tetanus that it's a good thing they didn't get the "poison" vaccine.  I have even more rage for anti-vaxxers who think that the diseases are a government conspiracy.  People need to learn how to science. 

So. Much. This. I have mentioned it a few times before but I had a severe case of whooping cough in college. I was vaccinated for it, but there seemed to be a lot of anti-vaxxers in the small town that my college was located in. It turns out that viruses can mutate in unvaccinated people and then the vaccine isn't effective against the mutated form (what I found out later from a doctor). I was hospitalized for a week after months of coughing fits and at one point during that time I had a coughing fit so severe that I couldn't catch my breath and felt myself turning blue. The nurses weren't coming fast enough even though I kept hitting the call button (not sure if they could have done much though). I actually thought that was it for me. It did subside on it's own after what felt like an eternity, but that was one of the scariest things I ever dealt with, and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemies. The doctors said I had severely damaged alveoli in my lungs, and that any form of exercise would be difficult. They also said that it could have been fatal. I was a long distance runner prior to that, and I am finally (after 4.5 years) able to run just over a mile/do any form of cardio. 

So yea, I really wonder what these anti vaxxers could possibly be thinking when they say that these diseases aren't as bad as the chemicals in the vaccines. I'm not even going to touch the autism thing since that's been disproved multiple times. 

MollyandD

AuroraRose41 said:

levioosa said:

FiancB said:

I need to get my titers checked. I don't think I ever had chicken pox and holy shit, varicella enecephalitis is scary. Yeah, just a little disease. My ass. Rotavirus landed me in the hospital for days for dehydration, and Measles and whoopin cough are heartbreaking to watch. Measles is ridiculously contagious- if I remember right, it lives in the room for several hours after the person left.

Women tend to carry herd immunity because of these pregnancy screenings. Men don't do that very often, but nbd since roughly half the population does. Until now...

It really frustrates me when people say these diseases aren't "a big deal."  Sure, go and tell someone in another country who desperately needs the polio vaccine that they are better off without it.  Go tell someone who has watched a love one die of tetanus that it's a good thing they didn't get the "poison" vaccine.  I have even more rage for anti-vaxxers who think that the diseases are a government conspiracy.  People need to learn how to science. 

So. Much. This. I have mentioned it a few times before but I had a severe case of whooping cough in college. I was vaccinated for it, but there seemed to be a lot of anti-vaxxers in the small town that my college was located in. It turns out that viruses can mutate in unvaccinated people and then the vaccine isn't effective against the mutated form (what I found out later from a doctor). I was hospitalized for a week after months of coughing fits and at one point during that time I had a coughing fit so severe that I couldn't catch my breath and felt myself turning blue. The nurses weren't coming fast enough even though I kept hitting the call button (not sure if they could have done much though). I actually thought that was it for me. It did subside on it's own after what felt like an eternity, but that was one of the scariest things I ever dealt with, and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemies. The doctors said I had severely damaged alveoli in my lungs, and that any form of exercise would be difficult. They also said that it could have been fatal. I was a long distance runner prior to that, and I am finally (after 4.5 years) able to run just over a mile/do any form of cardio. 

So yea, I really wonder what these anti vaxxers could possibly be thinking when they say that these diseases aren't as bad as the chemicals in the vaccines. I'm not even going to touch the autism thing since that's been disproved multiple times. 

Just a thought on the vaccines cause autism thing: I had a college professor years ago who read one of those articles. He warned us to think carefully about the risks of autism for our own children, and he said he regretted ever vaccinating his children. His kids were my age. I had a class with his daughter that same semester. His kids were fine. I don't see how he was regretting anything. 

HeatherKat

Molly&Domenic said:

AuroraRose41 said:

levioosa said:

FiancB said:

I need to get my titers checked. I don't think I ever had chicken pox and holy shit, varicella enecephalitis is scary. Yeah, just a little disease. My ass. Rotavirus landed me in the hospital for days for dehydration, and Measles and whoopin cough are heartbreaking to watch. Measles is ridiculously contagious- if I remember right, it lives in the room for several hours after the person left.

Women tend to carry herd immunity because of these pregnancy screenings. Men don't do that very often, but nbd since roughly half the population does. Until now...

It really frustrates me when people say these diseases aren't "a big deal."  Sure, go and tell someone in another country who desperately needs the polio vaccine that they are better off without it.  Go tell someone who has watched a love one die of tetanus that it's a good thing they didn't get the "poison" vaccine.  I have even more rage for anti-vaxxers who think that the diseases are a government conspiracy.  People need to learn how to science. 

So. Much. This. I have mentioned it a few times before but I had a severe case of whooping cough in college. I was vaccinated for it, but there seemed to be a lot of anti-vaxxers in the small town that my college was located in. It turns out that viruses can mutate in unvaccinated people and then the vaccine isn't effective against the mutated form (what I found out later from a doctor). I was hospitalized for a week after months of coughing fits and at one point during that time I had a coughing fit so severe that I couldn't catch my breath and felt myself turning blue. The nurses weren't coming fast enough even though I kept hitting the call button (not sure if they could have done much though). I actually thought that was it for me. It did subside on it's own after what felt like an eternity, but that was one of the scariest things I ever dealt with, and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemies. The doctors said I had severely damaged alveoli in my lungs, and that any form of exercise would be difficult. They also said that it could have been fatal. I was a long distance runner prior to that, and I am finally (after 4.5 years) able to run just over a mile/do any form of cardio. 

So yea, I really wonder what these anti vaxxers could possibly be thinking when they say that these diseases aren't as bad as the chemicals in the vaccines. I'm not even going to touch the autism thing since that's been disproved multiple times. 

Just a thought on the vaccines cause autism thing: I had a college professor years ago who read one of those articles. He warned us to think carefully about the risks of autism for our own children, and he said he regretted ever vaccinating his children. His kids were my age. I had a class with his daughter that same semester. His kids were fine. I don't see how he was regretting anything. 

I seriously don't get that line of thinking. You'd seriously rather your child be dead than autistic?