Born and growing up in Thailand

[Nimm2]

I am still unsure if I should let my baby have any vaccines at all, considering he is growing up in Thailand. If he was growing up elsewhere I would not give anything without a second thought.

So far I refused everything, he's 5 months old now and would have normally had Hep B and Tubercolosis at birth and other vaccinations starting with 2 months or so.

I have ruled out everything but am still unsure about perhaps giving Diphetria / Tetanus. (If I would give Diphetria / Tetanus then without Pertussis, just a pure Td.

The Thai ped understood and did not pressure anything but he is pressuring me about the Diphetria because it exists in Thailand.

I read a book written by a German ped which looks at each vaccination and each disease and proposes a delayed/selective option, and Diphetria seems to be fairly serious.

Would be happy to hear some opinions. What would you do if you were living in Thailand.

[carriebft]

I am not familiar with the geography of Thailand, but, can you find resources that look at the areas of the country where certain diseases are a problem and go from there?


From looking at the WHO information, there are high numbers of measles, mumps, and rubella (though this one is only at 400) but only 3 cases of Dipitheria and there are about 40 cases of Japanese encephilitis. (these are #s from 2007- has there been another outbreak since?)

So, just going by these numbers, it does not actually seem that D is the big issue...unless you maybe live in the area they happened or something, which I could see creating some alarm in the doctor.

I personally would want it in endemic areas, but if you have already ruled it out and the numbers are so low, I don't see why the doctor would pick that as the important vaccine to get, ya know?

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by carriebft

I am not familiar with the geography of Thailand, but, can you find resources that look at the areas of the country where certain diseases are a problem and go from there?


From looking at the WHO information, there are high numbers of measles, mumps, and rubella (though this one is only at 400) but only 3 cases of Dipitheria and there are about 40 cases of Japanese encephilitis. (these are #s from 2007- has there been another outbreak since?)

So, just going by these numbers, it does not actually seem that D is the big issue...unless you maybe live in the area they happened or something, which I could see creating some alarm in the doctor.

I personally would want it in endemic areas, but if you have already ruled it out and the numbers are so low, I don't see why the doctor would pick that as the important vaccine to get, ya know?

Here is the link for this info http://www.who.int/vaccines/globalsu...ntry.cfm?C=THA

There have not been significant numbers of diptheria cases in Thailand since the late 1980's...Personally I don't call 3 cases (this is 07 info) an epidemic.

[carriebft]

just to be clear, I did not call it an epidemic, I said the disease was endemic.

I asked if there was "another" outbreak since then because Thailand has seen outbreaks in the 90s from the data I was looking at, so I wondered if the fear the doctor demonstrated had reasoning in something like another outbreak.

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by carriebft

just to be clear, I did not call it an epidemic, I said the disease was endemic.

I asked if there was "another" outbreak since then because Thailand has seen outbreaks in the 90s from the data I was looking at, so I wondered if the fear the doctor demonstrated had reasoning in something like another outbreak.

I am not implying that you did. I can read and know the difference between epidemic and endemic. I only quoted your post to show the link to the WHO site. The other statements are my own thoughts and conclusions about whether or not I think the OP needs this vax

[carriebft]

just wanted to be clear, like I said.

eta: I was not implying you could not read. I was attempting to make sure it was clear what I was saying-- as you had quoted me and said you didn't think it was an epidemic, and I wanted it to be clear that I did not think or say that either.

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by carriebft

just wanted to be clear, like I said.

eta: I was not implying you could not read. I was attempting to make sure it was clear what I was saying as you had quoted me and said you didn't think it was an epidemic, and I wanted it to be clear that I did not think or say that either.

you were..perhaps I wasn't