Got a call from DH that they are giving him the smallpox vax on Tuesday. I was suppossed to go see him at Thanksgiving.
: That is not going to happen now.
I spent about 30 minutes with the CDC on the phone today and their answer was that he shouldn't get the vax at all since it is a risk for me. I don't think that is an option. I have my first midwive appointment on Friday, hopefully she will have some advice for me.
I'm just really frustrated and had to vent. Thanks for listening.
DH had the small pox vaccine right after DS was born, before he deployed to Iraq for the first time. Anyhow, I was concerned for my newborn at the time but they said it was fine. I guess the med group told him that pregnant women and new borns are fine as long as there is plenty of hand washing and keeping the injection site covered. I don't trust military medicine but I am sharing our experience with you.
That's so frustrating! Just thought I'd share with you - I actually got vaccinated for smallpox several years ago (right before we invaded Iraq and the Bush Administration was trying to decide how much they could dilute out their vax stash - I was at a University that happened to be one of the study sites, and as a graduate student, $300 to get vaccinated sounded pretty good).
Anyway, the real issue, as you know, is that it's a live (attenuated) virus for cowpox. They actually rub it on your skin and then prick the surface of the skin and a little lesion forms, that you keep covered. I never had an issue with it - they have great waterproof dressings for it now - but I agree I would stay way for 2-3 weeks after he gets vaccinated (until it scabs over) to be safe.
How long ago was his first vaccination? Just curious - because if it's just a booster then chances are he'll barely have a reaction at all. So sorry you can't see him, mama!
DH is safe, thanks for asking Christy. He is actually at OCS (officer canidate school) and they are giving the smallpox vax to everyone who doesn't already have it.
kltroy ~ He won't be getting it until next Tuesday. He is coming home 17 days after he gets the smallpox vax. I'm just worried about it being enough time passing.
Cardinal ~ I feel the same way, I just don't trust their answers.
Well, first off, it's great that he's at OCS. I've heard it's tough (from an aunt and uncle who went through it) but worth it. And as for the shot, I would hope that by 17 days it would have scabbed over, at the very least. I would hope it would be almost gone by then, but I don't know much about smallpox.
I am so upset right now. Actually, upset doesn't even begin to describe how angry I am with this whole situation.
They ended up giving DH the vax today. Even though he protested and explained them why he couldn't have it, they still made him. What frustrates me even more was that one of his classmates went to a different doctor on Monday and because his wife was pregnant, he didn't have to get the vax.
I wanted to see him so badly at Thanksgiving and now that is not going to happen. I really hate this.
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