Hib - weird quote

[luminesce]

http://cbs3.com/health/hib.virus.medical.2.973492.html

"This is very concerning," said Dr. Gary Emmett, Chief of Hospital Pediatrics at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. He says children who get the first three doses of the HIB vaccine carry the germ. He says without the booster dose, which kills the germ, vaccinated children can pass the disease on to kids who haven't gotten shots, and that is why we're seeing a rise in Hib cases.

What is he talking about?

ETA: Is he just trying to say that without a booster kids are possibly susceptible? The way this is written, it sounds as if he is saying a vaccinated child with the primary series is protected from Hib yet remains a carrier; this doesn't make sense to me.

[Gladiolus]

What? Is that even true? Does the booster have some kind of kill function?
Is he saying all the vaccinated kids without the last booster are the ones spreading HIB? To me, it seems like that's what he's saying.

[Deborah]

Does he provide any scientific data to support this statement?

Perhaps someone can do a pubmed search on the term Hib and booster?

[fruitfulmomma]

From what I've heard from others on here, when a child receives the HIB their risk of contracting it actually increases for some weeks afterwards. So it does seem plausible to me that they are in fact the ones spreading it around.

[Jugs]

That quote doesn't make sense; if 4 doses are necessary to prevent transmission, then why is only one dose needed after 15 months of age? Funny how they've never before disclosed that children can still transmit HiB until after that magic 4th dose.

[japonica]

That quote doesn't make sense; if 4 doses are necessary to prevent transmission, then why is only one dose needed after 15 months of age? Funny how they've never before disclosed that children can still transmit HiB until after that magic 4th dose.

Does anyone else get the feeling that they have no idea what they're talking about and that they're making it up as they go along? I recall posts where the officials stressed that even though toddlers/preschoolers would have only had 3 doses, they were protected and they needed to save those vaxes for babies doing the primary series. Then it's well, without the booster, your child may not be protected...which is it then?

[emma1325]

I remember reading something about this before. My daughter got the first 2 doses of hib, and then about 4 months after the 2nd dose was given, my husband was diagnosed with viral meningitis and had to be hospitalized. I've always wondered if she might have given it to him. ??

[Marnica]

Makes no sense to me at all.....I think if that were the case alot more children would be being daignosed with HIB.

[mamakay]

Nobody really knows, but I think he might be right. Hib circulation tends to not really decrease in countries that don't do a toddler dose, iirc.

[Deborah]

However, it may not be the fact that it is the fourth dose, as much as it being given to an older infant, who has a stronger immune response? I doubt if there is some magical threshold between three and four doses.

[Gitti]

Originally Posted by japonica

Does anyone else get the feeling that they have no idea what they're talking about and that they're making it up as they go along?

I sure do!

[stacey05]

Dr. Sears says that Hib is not going up at all...he says the PUBLICITY is going up, probably because of the shortage. I think that the primary doses (first 3 doses as infants) probably have short immunity in a large majority of kids and it wears off, by the time they are toddlers. That is why they decided they needed the booster. So, maybe they are more susceptible (sp?) also, if they do not get the booster. Maybe they are now carriers because they were injected with it?? My best guess is their immunity is wearing off by the time their toddlers (not in all cases) and that is why they need the booster. I guess they are foregoing the booster because it is supposed to be more rare in toddlers vs. infants. They figure infants need the doses because they are higher risk and at least the toddlers got their first 3 doses as infants. It doesn't make any sense to me. I thought the hib vaccine was not a live virus, so how can they spread it? Am I wrong, is it a live virus, like measles vaccine?

Stacey

[luminesce]

Originally Posted by stacey05

Dr. Sears says that Hib is not going up at all...he says the PUBLICITY is going up, probably because of the shortage. I think that the primary doses (first 3 doses as infants) probably have short immunity in a large majority of kids and it wears off, by the time they are toddlers. That is why they decided they needed the booster. So, maybe they are more susceptible (sp?) also, if they do not get the booster. Maybe they are now carriers because they were injected with it?? My best guess is their immunity is wearing off by the time their toddlers (not in all cases) and that is why they need the booster. I guess they are foregoing the booster because it is supposed to be more rare in toddlers vs. infants. They figure infants need the doses because they are higher risk and at least the toddlers got their first 3 doses as infants. It doesn't make any sense to me. I thought the hib vaccine was not a live virus, so how can they spread it? Am I wrong, is it a live virus, like measles vaccine?

Stacey

Hib is an encapsulated bacteria, not a virus. The vaccine is a conjugate vaccine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conjugate_vaccine) The vaccine can not give or make you a carrier of the disease.

From what I've read, they didn't actually realize that the conjugate vaccine would reduce carriage. What I'm curious about in reference to the above quote is if the booster shot is thought to be responsible for this reduction in carriage. If so, why? And where is the study indicating this 'cause I want to read it.

[luminesce]

The CDC has said they think Hib is on the rise in other countries because: 1) There is evidence that the pertussis vaccine interferes with the Hib vaccine if given together 2) A booster dose is not part of the schedule and 3) Carriage changes in the population (kids no longer carry it but adults do.) In fact, #3 was cited as probably the most important factor. Thus, you can see my confusion with the above quote.

[MissRubyandKen]

Originally Posted by serenitii

The CDC has said they think Hib is on the rise in other countries because: 1) There is evidence that the pertussis vaccine interferes with the Hib vaccine if given together 2) A booster dose is not part of the schedule and 3) Carriage changes in the population (kids no longer carry it but adults do.) In fact, #3 was cited as probably the most important factor. Thus, you can see my confusion with the above quote.

I would love if you would post a link to this so I don't have to go dig for it. Pretty please.

This is what the CDC pink book chapter has to say-

In the prevaccine era, Hib could be isolated from the nasopharynx of 0.5%–3% of normal infants and children but was not common in adults.

I'm going to have to look into this further. Are they saying now that adults are carrying it more where before it was uncommon? And is #3 only pertinent to other countries?