about vaccines? I want to understand these diseases well.
I have been reading many books for a while, mostly anti vaccine. However, Romm's book seems really good but she almost seems pro tetanus. Dr Sears’s book, which I just started reading, seems very pro vaccine. My son is un vaccinated so far, and I think he will stay so until he is much older. If we start traveling then I may consider some vaccines, but I don’t plan to travel outside of the country. That would probably only happen if my son had the personality of wanting to travel and do missionary work outside of the country. I am undecided about a future tetanus vaccine, but that will be when he is much older.
So here is what I have learned about vaccines.
Diphtheria seems irrelevant if you aren't traveling out of the country. Only one child per year gets it and at the most five people get it with some years having no reported cases. Most people are carriers of the bacterium but show no symptoms other than maybe the symptoms of the common cold. Also, I have read on MDC that diphtheria is something that you would see in more third world, unsanitary conditions. I haven’t read much about this though, so I don’t quite understand it. Since it is spread like the common cold, then just breathing it in is a possibility. However most people who carry it, show no symptoms or uncomplicated symptoms. So what I want to understand is what pushes a person into getting this particular disease in the more serious form?
Pertussis is dangerous in the first 6 months of life. However, past that point its risks are acceptable. So what I haven't read so far, is if you are breastfeeding in the first 6 months of life, then is it possible to get this disease or is there much less susceptibility if the child is breastfeeding and not in daycare. Also, I have read there is no permanent immunity if you get it, but I think most of the vaccine books say there is permanent immunity if you get pertussis. Which is it?
Tetanus is so unlikely in a child that it isn't worth getting the vaccine. It is an anaerobic bacterium that would produce a toxin only in a wound which isn't properly cleaned and even if there is a high chance of getting tetanus from a dirty puncture wound then there is the TIG treatment. Also this disease is seen mostly in the elderly. Proper wound care seems to be the best way to prevent it. I haven't read anywhere, except on MDC that bleeding will prevent the bacterium from multiplying and creating the toxin which causes problems with paralysis. This seems like flawed thinking because if any of the germ is missed in the wound care, even if there was bleeding, then when the body and skin heal over, this is when the germ would produce the toxin. Do I understand this correctly? I haven’t read that oxygen would kill the bacterium. Tetanus produces the toxin in an anaerobic environment but not an oxygenated environment.
Hib is everywhere. It is mostly a serious issue in children under two, but after the age of two is isn’t seen very often. Also those who do carry it often don’t show symptoms or just symptoms of the common cold. So what pushes a person into the more serious form of Hib? Also, this is not something that you would have to worry about as much if you are breastfeeding and the child isn’t in daycare. It isn’t really seen in adults? According to Dr Sears this vaccine is one of the safest.
Measles, mumps, rubella, and chicken pox would be desirable to catch in childhood in the healthy individual and confer permanent immunity whereas the vaccines do not. The incidences of serious complications from the actual diseases are low. With good medical care if needed, good nutrition and rest it seems like it would be better to get these diseases in childhood because as an adult or even an adolescent these diseases seem to have more complications. So, it is like we are awaiting an epidemic of these diseases as adults because children are usually vaccinated whereas adults aren’t? Rubella is dangerous if contracted during pregnancy for the baby. MMR is one of the more reactive vaccines.
Hepatitis B is really an STD or contracted from mother to child. This wouldn’t be something to consider unless I had a sexually active, out of control, drug using teenager, or if I lived with a Hep B carrier.
Influenza isn’t usually deadly and just feels miserable for a few days. With overall good health and nutrition, we will survive. Maybe only the elderly are at risk.
Polio…usually the carrier has very mild symptoms, but some people get the paralytic kind. So I want to know why? It is more prevalent in other countries and pretty much eradicated in the US.
Meningococcal is serious. I haven’t read anything on this yet. This is a new vaccine though, isn’t it? I use to work for a pediatrician and don’t remember this one.
I have been reading many books for a while, mostly anti vaccine. However, Romm's book seems really good but she almost seems pro tetanus. Dr Sears’s book, which I just started reading, seems very pro vaccine. My son is un vaccinated so far, and I think he will stay so until he is much older. If we start traveling then I may consider some vaccines, but I don’t plan to travel outside of the country. That would probably only happen if my son had the personality of wanting to travel and do missionary work outside of the country. I am undecided about a future tetanus vaccine, but that will be when he is much older.
So here is what I have learned about vaccines.
Diphtheria seems irrelevant if you aren't traveling out of the country. Only one child per year gets it and at the most five people get it with some years having no reported cases. Most people are carriers of the bacterium but show no symptoms other than maybe the symptoms of the common cold. Also, I have read on MDC that diphtheria is something that you would see in more third world, unsanitary conditions. I haven’t read much about this though, so I don’t quite understand it. Since it is spread like the common cold, then just breathing it in is a possibility. However most people who carry it, show no symptoms or uncomplicated symptoms. So what I want to understand is what pushes a person into getting this particular disease in the more serious form?
Pertussis is dangerous in the first 6 months of life. However, past that point its risks are acceptable. So what I haven't read so far, is if you are breastfeeding in the first 6 months of life, then is it possible to get this disease or is there much less susceptibility if the child is breastfeeding and not in daycare. Also, I have read there is no permanent immunity if you get it, but I think most of the vaccine books say there is permanent immunity if you get pertussis. Which is it?
Tetanus is so unlikely in a child that it isn't worth getting the vaccine. It is an anaerobic bacterium that would produce a toxin only in a wound which isn't properly cleaned and even if there is a high chance of getting tetanus from a dirty puncture wound then there is the TIG treatment. Also this disease is seen mostly in the elderly. Proper wound care seems to be the best way to prevent it. I haven't read anywhere, except on MDC that bleeding will prevent the bacterium from multiplying and creating the toxin which causes problems with paralysis. This seems like flawed thinking because if any of the germ is missed in the wound care, even if there was bleeding, then when the body and skin heal over, this is when the germ would produce the toxin. Do I understand this correctly? I haven’t read that oxygen would kill the bacterium. Tetanus produces the toxin in an anaerobic environment but not an oxygenated environment.
Hib is everywhere. It is mostly a serious issue in children under two, but after the age of two is isn’t seen very often. Also those who do carry it often don’t show symptoms or just symptoms of the common cold. So what pushes a person into the more serious form of Hib? Also, this is not something that you would have to worry about as much if you are breastfeeding and the child isn’t in daycare. It isn’t really seen in adults? According to Dr Sears this vaccine is one of the safest.
Measles, mumps, rubella, and chicken pox would be desirable to catch in childhood in the healthy individual and confer permanent immunity whereas the vaccines do not. The incidences of serious complications from the actual diseases are low. With good medical care if needed, good nutrition and rest it seems like it would be better to get these diseases in childhood because as an adult or even an adolescent these diseases seem to have more complications. So, it is like we are awaiting an epidemic of these diseases as adults because children are usually vaccinated whereas adults aren’t? Rubella is dangerous if contracted during pregnancy for the baby. MMR is one of the more reactive vaccines.
Hepatitis B is really an STD or contracted from mother to child. This wouldn’t be something to consider unless I had a sexually active, out of control, drug using teenager, or if I lived with a Hep B carrier.
Influenza isn’t usually deadly and just feels miserable for a few days. With overall good health and nutrition, we will survive. Maybe only the elderly are at risk.
Polio…usually the carrier has very mild symptoms, but some people get the paralytic kind. So I want to know why? It is more prevalent in other countries and pretty much eradicated in the US.
Meningococcal is serious. I haven’t read anything on this yet. This is a new vaccine though, isn’t it? I use to work for a pediatrician and don’t remember this one.
