Unvaxed kids and a parent who travels overseas

[MarineWife]

My dh is in the military and is currently in Afghanistan. I read an article today about the increase in polio cases in Pakistan and that the virus may originate from Afghanistan. Do I need to be worried that my dh could carry a virus such as this home and infect my kids?

[miriam]

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Edited by miriam - 5/27/12 at 4:05pm

[MarineWife]

Why not?

[nia82]

Since your DH is military, he is vaccinated against everything, including polio, and if the vaccine works, he cannot bring polio back home. If that was the case, then lots of military member would be bringing home polio to all the countries involved in Afghanistan but they don't - and think about it, the German military only requires a tetanus shot for their members and they are alive and well in Afghanistan. No polio cases in Europe... I would rather worry about all the shots' side effects for DH (anthrax, smallpox, flumist and the never ending list military members have to get).

[MarineWife]

yeah, i was wondering if he could carry the diseases if he's vaxed for them. thanks.

[nia82]

If your DH received the oral polio vaccine as a kid, it is commonly accepted by the scientific community that he will not be able to carry the virus as OPV is supposed to stop transmission. 

[MarineWife]

Yeah, I know the medical community accepts it as stopping the spread of the disease but who knows? And, while I did mention polio because that was the subject of the article I read, I was wondering about other diseases as well. Although, I'm not as concerned with measles and mumps and such.

[nia82]

I don't think you can carry measles or mumps if you are immune to it. I do find the evidence compelling that you cannot carry polio if sufficient immunity ensued after OPV vaccination. I wouldn't worry about that. I would worry a little if your DH only ever got IPV, that's not very hm good as a vaccine. The likely thing your Dh will bring home are stomach bugs and colds he picks up at airports. If you are truly worried, just quarantine him for about 2 weeks to be sure. 

[emmy526]

i think you should err on the side of caution,  but don't let fear of disease over rule your life. You really have no idea what kinds of illness he could bring home on a plane.......anyone flying takes that risk.  I don't think the risk is specific to vaccinated individuals not spreading disease  or the unvaxxed spreading disease on a plane.  The risk is out there all the time anywhere in public you go. There are scores of vax-shedding children all over..you don't have any concerns about that? 

How reputable is the article you read? What source did it come from?  

And btw, the USA has not used OPV in several years now.  And oral polio vaccine can remain in the gut of certain children for up to 3months, shedding when having a bowel movement, thus theoretically putting "at risk" individuals in contact with said disease.  And because in the 3rd world countries where sanitation/sewage removal is not on their list of priorities to prevent disease , people in those countries acquire some diseases more easily. 

[miriam]

Edited by miriam - 5/27/12 at 4:04pm

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by emmy526 

i think you should err on the side of caution, but don't let fear of disease over rule your life. You really have no idea what kinds of illness he could bring home on a plane.......anyone flying takes that risk. I don't think the risk is specific to vaccinated individuals not spreading disease or the unvaxxed spreading disease on a plane. The risk is out there all the time anywhere in public you go. There are scores of vax-shedding children all over..you don't have any concerns about that?
How reputable is the article you read? What source did it come from?
And btw, the USA has not used OPV in several years now. And oral polio vaccine can remain in the gut of certain children for up to 3months, shedding when having a bowel movement, thus theoretically putting "at risk" individuals in contact with said disease. And because in the 3rd world countries where sanitation/sewage removal is not on their list of priorities to prevent disease , people in those countries acquire some diseases more easily.

Gah! I stopped getting email notifications for this thread.

How would I err on the side of caution aside from vaxing my kids, which I'm not going to do?

I can't remember the article now or the source. It was just a news article, probably something linked on Facebook from NVIC.

I don't have huge concerns about kids shedding vaxes because my kids aren't in enclosed places for extended periods of time with other kids. We homeschool so they aren't exposed to anything there. They do play with kids in the neighborhood but I don't see that as much of a concern. Most of the supposedly vaccine-preventable diseases do not worry me much. Actually, I kind of wish they would get exposed to someone shedding the varicella vaccine.

[emmy526]

Originally Posted by MarineWife 


Gah! I stopped getting email notifications for this thread.
How would I err on the side of caution aside from vaxing my kids, which I'm not going to do?
I can't remember the article now or the source. It was just a news article, probably something linked on Facebook from NVIC.
I don't have huge concerns about kids shedding vaxes because my kids aren't in enclosed places for extended periods of time with other kids. We homeschool so they aren't exposed to anything there. They do play with kids in the neighborhood but I don't see that as much of a concern. Most of the supposedly vaccine-preventable diseases do not worry me much. Actually, I kind of wish they would get exposed to someone shedding the varicella vaccine.

Erring on the side of caution means keeping your children as healthy as you can, nutritionally and safe, environmentally.  Plenty of wholesome foods rich in vitamins and minerals, plenty of sleep and the less stress in a child's life, the better.   The kids in the neighborhood would be a concern to me, more so than the supermaket...if they are in close proximity to each other playing, and one who is shedding sneezes droplets contaminated with whatever germ, either in your child's face or even on playground equipment, and your child ingests  it,  your child is at risk. The healthier the child, the less the risk of getting sick.  As far as being in close proximity with one who has been on a plane and may be carrying germs, again,  a healthy child will fight off whatever illness better. 
 

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by emmy526 

Erring on the side of caution means keeping your children as healthy as you can, nutritionally and safe, environmentally.  Plenty of wholesome foods rich in vitamins and minerals, plenty of sleep and the less stress in a child's life, the better.   The kids in the neighborhood would be a concern to me, more so than the supermaket...if they are in close proximity to each other playing, and one who is shedding sneezes droplets contaminated with whatever germ, either in your child's face or even on playground equipment, and your child ingests  it,  your child is at risk. The healthier the child, the less the risk of getting sick.  As far as being in close proximity with one who has been on a plane and may be carrying germs, again,  a healthy child will fight off whatever illness better. 
 

Ah, ok. I thought you meant something special. I do everything I can to keep my kids as healthy as possible. I'm confident in their bodies' ability to fight diseases so I am not overly concerned about what they may be exposed to while out and about in the world.

[miriam]

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Edited by miriam - 5/27/12 at 4:03pm

[MarineWife]

Originally Posted by miriam 

If your husband is vaccinated against smallpox as many men who are deployed are, he needs to stay away from you and the baby for a while.  Your husband should be instructed on this.  

yes, he was vaxed for smallpox many years before we started having babies.