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post #21 of 37
11/8/05 at 8:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mamakay
I'm not really terribly worried about this, but does anyone know what the real chances are that a particularly virulent, mutant OPV strain could morph it's way across the country?
Isn't this what they're saying has happened?! That the baby got Polio virus that spread from an OPV somewhere, and then it spread to other people in the community? And if the baby's hospitalized, doesn't that mean it's kind of a nasty germ?
post #22 of 37
11/8/05 at 8:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by boston
Isn't this what they're saying has happened?! That the baby got Polio virus that spread from an OPV somewhere, and then it spread to other people in the community? And if the baby's hospitalized, doesn't that mean it's kind of a nasty germ?
No, no, no!
Lol...that's kind of the way it's being spun, but no.
The baby was hospitalized for something completely unrelated, and they just ran the usualy battery of tests, which, to everyone's surprise, came back with a positive polio test.
The child has NO symptoms of polio! This is the vaccine strain...relatively safe...not mutated into some killer form or anything.
So then they ran out and started testing Amish people and found the strain in a few perfectly healthy Amish kids.
Now, the "wild" virsus only causes even transient paralysis in one in 200-1000 people it infects, and the vaccine strain is probably closer to one in 10,000.
So this is not something freak out about at all.
post #23 of 37
11/8/05 at 8:36pm
OH!

Well. Everyone knows that the oral polio virus spreads. It's live. Why wouldn't they expect to run into that now and then? They're doctors for Maude's sake!!
post #24 of 37
11/8/05 at 8:43pm
Yeah, this is total propaganda. They randomly decided to test this baby (who is sick for other reasons) for polio. Baby tests positive- for same strain as the OPV- go figure. Then they go on a wild goose chase randomly testing the scary unvaxed amish until they find 4 people who test positive. NO ONE has polio. No one is sick from polio at all.

-Angela
post #25 of 37
11/8/05 at 8:46pm
thanks. Now I understand. I'm so annoyed. This actually got me worried and it's not easy to do that with regard to vaccinations. I'm quite well-read in the subject and I tend to read through the bs quite effectively. Not this time. And that's scary because that means probably a lot of others were totally freaked out by it too. That totally sucks.
post #26 of 37
11/8/05 at 8:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by boston
OH!

Well. Everyone knows that the oral polio virus spreads. It's live. Why wouldn't they expect to run into that now and then? They're doctors for Maude's sake!!
Because it sounds really scary and makes a good headline.
More "YER DOOMED!!!" reporting.
And even most doctors don't critically evaluate what they read in the headlines.
Sad, isn't it?
post #27 of 37
11/8/05 at 8:51pm
Yep. That's what they're hoping for. I wonder if that's why they tested in the first place. :

Now what I've been thinking on, is where did the OPV virus come from?

My thoughts- add any other possibilities I've missed:

1. someone is still giving OPV in the US
2. got it from someone (possibly through several steps) that got OPV somewhere else
3. OPV polio virus is STILL circulating from 10 years ago (don't have the dates in front of me... whenever they switched...)

Personally I think it's 3. No one ever tests for it and that would be the easiest and funniest...

-Angela
post #28 of 37
11/8/05 at 9:07pm
Why wouldn't the OPV strain still be circulating if the IPV doesnt prevent actual "infection"?
post #29 of 37
11/8/05 at 9:26pm
We are ex-South Africans and my ds was fully vaccinated with the OPV 7 years ago (the only type available). He has an unvaxx'ed sister (age 3) born in the US - what are the chances of her having gotten secondary immunity from him?



Warmly,
Michelle
post #30 of 37
11/8/05 at 9:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mamakay
...does anyone know what the real chances are that a particularly virulent, mutant OPV strain could morph it's way across the country?
This article talks about it:

http://jvi.asm.org/cgi/reprint/79/2/1062
post #31 of 37
11/8/05 at 11:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by insider
This article talks about it:

http://jvi.asm.org/cgi/reprint/79/2/1062
Well that sucks.
post #32 of 37
11/9/05 at 1:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by alegna
My thoughts- add any other possibilities I've missed:

1. someone is still giving OPV in the US
2. got it from someone (possibly through several steps) that got OPV somewhere else
3. OPV polio virus is STILL circulating from 10 years ago (don't have the dates in front of me... whenever they switched...)

Personally I think it's 3. No one ever tests for it and that would be the easiest and funniest...

-Angela
My ds's doc wanted to give him the OPV when he was an infant, he's now 2. She had it in her office, ready for him to gulp it down. So there's someone who was giving it two years ago.
post #33 of 37
11/9/05 at 1:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by michelle1k
We are ex-South Africans and my ds was fully vaccinated with the OPV 7 years ago (the only type available). He has an unvaxx'ed sister (age 3) born in the US - what are the chances of her having gotten secondary immunity from him?



Warmly,
Michelle
Next to none.
Sorry.
post #34 of 37
11/9/05 at 1:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dolphin
My ds's doc wanted to give him the OPV when he was an infant, he's now 2. She had it in her office, ready for him to gulp it down. So there's someone who was giving it two years ago.
That is weird...
Are you sure?
Is anyone keeping track of this stuff?
post #35 of 37
11/9/05 at 10:36am
//
post #36 of 37
11/9/05 at 11:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mamakay
That is weird...
Are you sure?
Is anyone keeping track of this stuff?
I got the impression that his doc just didn't know any better and wasn't aware of the recommendation (at the time) to give IPV instead of OPV. It was in 2003. That's one of the flags actually that caused me to really question everything.
post #37 of 37
11/9/05 at 11:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by boston
thanks. Now I understand. I'm so annoyed. This actually got me worried and it's not easy to do that with regard to vaccinations. I'm quite well-read in the subject and I tend to read through the bs quite effectively. Not this time. And that's scary because that means probably a lot of others were totally freaked out by it too. That totally sucks.
I don't think it's *total* propoganda, but I think that, as usual, they are focusing on the wrong thing.

This strain found is from the OPV--but this strain hasn't been used for 2 years! This child is 8 months old. How did a 2 year old strain infect an 8 month old child?

I don't know how long polio is able to survive outside the body, but I find this a bit disturbing. Has the OPV forced the illness to mutate?

Edited: I see this has been covered. I shouldn't post early in the morning without reading replies.
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