Is the child not protected until all doses are received?

[mrs.t]

I'm selectively vaxing my DS, and I'm really on the fence about prevnar 13. I noticed that if the child is over a certain age, he would only need to receive one dose of the vaccine instead of the 4 doses if you had started at 2 months. Is the child protected from the 13 strains of PC from the first dose, or does he have to receive the whole series? If so, does it make sense to just delay the vaccine until 24 months or later so DS only has to receive one dose? My thinking is, if he isn't protected anyway, why give him 4 doses as opposed to 1?

[Messac888]

You know, if you're thinking of going with just the one dose instead of the four because 'either way he wouldn't be' immune or whatever, then...why do even the one?

I go back and forth on the vax issue on a regular basis, but right now my dd, age 3, has whooping cough. We wouldn't even realize it's what she has had we not been informed she'd been exposed to it. Sigh... She's perfectly fine, will have permanent immunity as a result, and no vax side-effects. I will admit, when I learned of the exposure, my first thought was, "What do we do now?" NOT, "Man, I wish I'd have vaxed her!" I guess that puts me closer to the not-totally-in-favor-of-vaxes camp.

I definitely question the idea of vaxing such tiny kids with so much crap. (On a side note, our pediatrician, when I mentioned my concerns of aluminum in the DT vax, stated that 'kids actually NEED aluminum in their diets.' Um, what?) I was vaxed against EVERYTHING there was to ve vaxed against in the 1980s, and now I have allergies, ADHD, and a whole myriad of issues. And I'm still not immune to measles.

Try being a 30-year-old with ADHD. Not fun, let me tell you.

Really, really try to consider the long-term consequences of vaccines before giving them all. It's a tough decision- I do worry at times about them getting some crazy illness, and we might vaccinate when they're older (about ten years old we might start a couple) but we still aren't sure. If you choose not to right now you can always change your mind later, but if you vax now, there is no opportunity for mind-changing afterwards.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by Messac888

I go back and forth on the vax issue on a regular basis, but right now my dd, age 3, has whooping cough. We wouldn't even realize it's what she has had we not been informed she'd been exposed to it. Sigh... She's perfectly fine, will have permanent immunity as a result, and no vax side-effects.

Wild-type pertussis infection doesn't confer permanent immunity. The usual figures are 4-20 years for wild infection and 4-12 for vaccination.

[mrs.t]

I only consider vaxing at all because I work with children with autism, many of whom are not vaxed, and I'm afraid I may bring something home to him. Also, my husband is a sanitation worker, so he's a little freaked about what he may have been exposed to in a day's work.

As far as prevnar goes, I probably won't do it, but I have more thinking to do. I just wanted to see if anyone knew about how the series worked because it would help me make my decision.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by mrs.t

As far as prevnar goes, I probably won't do it, but I have more thinking to do. I just wanted to see if anyone knew about how the series worked because it would help me make my decision.

The infant series doesn't need four doses to "switch on." It's intended as continuing protection. If you find yourself safely out at 24 months, though, it looks like the single toddler dose is deemed sufficiently immunogenic. Risks versus benefits, as always.

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by mrs.t

I only consider vaxing at all because I work with children with autism, many of whom are not vaxed, and I'm afraid I may bring something home to him. Also, my husband is a sanitation worker, so he's a little freaked about what he may have been exposed to in a day's work.

As far as prevnar goes, I probably won't do it, but I have more thinking to do. I just wanted to see if anyone knew about how the series worked because it would help me make my decision.

Well....I don't think unvaxed children are vectors of disease any more than a fully vaccinated child is.

In any case what are you afraid you will bring home? Why not vaccinate yourself and your husband for those things instead?

[dakotablue]

I have to say I feel safer around unvaxed kids than vaxed kids in terms of things to be vaxed for. The unvaxed kids would usually show signs of illness (which it your around these kids often enough you'll know if they are sick, I used to work with these kids before DS) vaxed kids can just be carriers...a little scarier to me.

just wanted to put that out there, but with your dh's work...I'd consider some vaxes of the scary bacteria

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by dakotablue

I have to say I feel safer around unvaxed kids than vaxed kids in terms of things to be vaxed for. The unvaxed kids would usually show signs of illness (which it your around these kids often enough you'll know if they are sick, I used to work with these kids before DS) vaxed kids can just be carriers...a little scarier to me.

just wanted to put that out there, but with your dh's work...I'd consider some vaxes of the scary bacteria

I really am truly interested in what people think a sanitation worker would bring home in terms of a VPD??

[mrs.t]

Well, the one he was concerned about was Hep B, but pretty much anything. He sometimes will do baskets in the city, meaning the baskets on the streets of NYC, not just residential garbage. He has seen used needles. Also, touching everyone else's dirty diapers, tissues, etc. that are loaded with germs. I know it sounds paranoid, but he has to touch disgusting things on a daily basis. Not everyone ties up their garbage in neat bags. He has thrown away things he couldn't even identify. He has also been splashed in the face with unknown liquids from garbage cans, the back of the truck, etc. He is definitely exposed to god knows what and it's a concern. He protects himself with gloves but again, nothing can prepare you for being splashed in the face with garbage.

[carriebft]

Hep A and B are probably the big concerns to the sanitation worker. Hep A seems to actually be one they run into a lot according to the first couple pages on google scholar when I searched.

wow, a few studies have more than 20% of their sanitation worker population experiencing needle sticks in the past 12 months, many with more than one. I guess I had never thought of that as a risk associated with the job.

[mrs.t]

Also, I know I'm probably not at a huge risk with my students, but obviously I worry. I really don't trust the info out there on the protection a vaccine provides, which is why I'm trying to figure it out based on my own concerns about exposing my child. Pertussis is scary to me, but I did one round of DTaP and I may not do another since DS was unbearably fussy for about a week after. The constant weighing of pros and cons is overwhelming.

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by carriebft

Hep A and B are probably the big concerns to the sanitation worker. Hep A seems to actually be one they run into a lot according to the first couple pages on google scholar when I searched.

wow, a few studies have more than 20% of their sanitation worker population experiencing needle sticks in the past 12 months, many with more than one. I guess I had never thought of that as a risk associated with the job.

Ok, so there is some risk, especially for Hep A and B (in terms of VPD's). Still makes far more sense for your DH to vaccinate himself, than to give these to your baby IMO.