Predisposition for reaction?

[colorbywords]

Hi everyone!

We are currently deciding on what vaccines to give my currently unvaxed 6 month old. I was wondering if anybody had any information or studies about whether vaccine reactions can be passed down? I reacted to the DPT shot as a child (ended up in hospital). I am already wary of giving her vaccines and especially this one! However I can't find any information about the probability/possibility that she'll have an increased risk for a reaction or not?

Thanks!

[carriebft]

The DPT is no longer used. In the DPT, the pertussis portion used the whole bacteria as opposed to the new vaccine, which uses only pieces of the cells- proteins I believe? it is called DtaP.

I have not read any actual studies that suggest reactions are inherited, but especially in this case you would probably not find many since the two vaccines are different (you have DPT and your daughter would get DTaP)

[caitryn]

My sister and I both had severe reactions to the DTP (pertussis portion) as well, and the doctors said it was hereditary.  Now, the information the CDC releases on the DTaP says that anyone who had a reaction to the old formula should NOT get the new one.  That tells me that they are not 100% that the part that caused the reaction was removed.  (We had no issues with the DT.)

Now, we have a pediatrician for our children who not only acknowledged the chance of inheriting the reaction (and acknowledging the reactions themselves) but said she had personally seen children have such reactions to the DTP.  She has also said that since the formula was changed to acelluar pertussis, she has not seen any of those reactions occur.  Our ped is still going to give us a medical exemption for the pertussis portion for our children just in case, but she does think that it would be safe to give to them by the time they reach 4 or 5 years old (just in time for school) since older children are less likely to have reactions than infants.

[Lisa1970]

Things such as a family history of immune disorders or miscarriages would be one thing. I think I read sensitive skin is a sign of there being a higher risk of reactions. I would not do the DTP either. I did not do it either. There have been too many SIDS deaths within hours of the DTP for me to be comfy giving it to a newborn. If you are worried about exposure..then get the shot for yourself and the older people in your home and skip the baby. Wait until the baby is older to give it.

[mama1219]

The difference between the DTP and DTaP could play a big part in your reaction as mentioned above.  I look at any inflammatory process as an indicator of possible vaccine reactions.  My son has an allergy to dairy and a family history of inflammatory bowel disease so I see these both of these as possible risk factors for reactions.  We are delaying vaccination and using vaccishield or Dr Sears vaccine protocol minus the high dose vitamin A.  I would assume your child could have a vaccine reaction to the DTaP and put that into your planning.  I hope this helps!

www.vaccishield.com

www.askdrsears.com

[Calliope84]

I really believe that the way a child handles vaccines has to do with genetics. That is why some children (and their siblings) react so terribly and other kids seem to have no issues. Someday maybe we will be able to look at a person's DNA to tell if they might react... but this won't happen until someone starts admitting some people really are at greater risk and that it may be a greater number than they want to admit. I reacted to Dtp, too, and I had cancer and have an autoimune disease so I feel like maybe my DNA might be a little more susceptible to things. My DH has had all kinds of vaccines and while he is now dealing with some issues, it is nothing like what I've had. So, it is possible DD might be fine. I am not willing to risk her health with vaccines, though, when I a not convinced the research done on them is good.

[Corn&Beans]

I'm really allergic to things (food, drugs, enviro), my mom swelled up from the DT in the 50's when it was made with horse serum, and my 1st took a special order DTaP as a baby in the early 90's and still reacted strongly. 2 years ago when he chose to take MMR for college, he reacted badly with a 104.5 temp on motrin. Ugh. We are being really careful, and very selective.

We have chosen NOT to give our kids vacs until we saw how that one would react at 18! I will give anyone over 7 one Dt shot and a Hep B series slowly, then 5 or 10 years later give another Dt. Have just given several children MMR, since the girls are reaching puberty and the boys are exposed to foreign children on a regular basis. My older teen chose not to get MMR because of the human cell line conflicting with his moral beliefs.

Several years ago, one of our kids stayed all day with a kid whose brother came down with measles while they were visiting USA, the day after my kid was visiting them. We did the 3 week quarentine thing, and did not catch it. But that was a pain, to be called by the state and asked if we could voluntarily cooperate with it (and it was actually my idea first!). The MMR is very painful, and most reactions are seen on day 8 or 9 (high fevers, lymph node soreness, etc). Made from egg, which is one of our allergens.

Since the oldest seemed to do ok with the egg based MMR, we decided to try everyone on the flu shot, also made with egg. Once they are over 9 or 10, they only need one the first year. No reaction from the shot, and we have been less sick every winter, no flu. Yay!

One of my teens recently had 2nd Dt, a year past his first. He had a huge arthus reaction starting about 6 hours after the shot, with a final welt size of 9 X 5 inches. Doc called it "pretty spectacular". He has reacted to penicillin, wasps, and tropical fruit in the past so we know to watch him. No more for at least 10 years, medical excuse.

We don't need Dtap since we have had pertussis. I don't give my little ones the Td shot since there is something like 30 times the adult amount of diptheria toxin in the pediatric shot, and my little kids have yet to go exploring where there is a torn down barn or other places where they could get puncture wounds. It's when they are 10 and invincible that I worry!!

BTW, if your schools won't accommodate your shots, why not home school? Then you can protect your children from black mold or asbestos in the schools, and junk food in the cafeteria. :)