Immunizations and You ...

[browniegirl86]

---

Members do not see this ad.

You make it appear that there are doctors who administer vaccines against your will. Do parents not have the right to sue?

I think vaccines, overall, have been one of the most significant public health initiatives over the past hundred years. We have eliminated some diseases/bacteria/virii almost completely from the biological record.

EDIT: I didn't realize that this thread had 200+ responses, and after reading most of this thread, I see that my response above is way late.

Never too late. Any input is good 🙂

 

[Pepper1o1]

Hey all - was actually in Vienna for the TB Vaccines for the World conference all last week, so missed this wonderful thread until just now 🙂 Glad the troll is gone, but I got a good laugh out of some of his posts, anyway!

I appreciate all of your thoughtful (and very well-informed, by the way!) posts about the BCG vaccine. I've been working at non-profit org. that does research on several levels (basic science, preclinical, clinical) into new TB vaccines for the last year, and it has been really eye-opening. Actually, I'm surprised at the high level of BCG vaccinees in this poll (20%! which I think is higher than the national average.... perhaps there is a higher percentage of foreign-born individuals applying to med school than there is in the population? Interesting...)

As many of you noted, one of the main problems with the BCG vaccine is that it causes a positive reaction to the PPD test, which is the common diagnostic tool for TB. PPD is short for purified protein derivative, and its UNBELIEVEABLY archaic, and basically just purified proteins from tuberculosis. Because BCG is an attenuated strain of M. bovis, the cow form of TB, it shares a lot of similar proteins with TB, hence the positive reactions. There are new diagnostic tests being developed that test reactions to specifically TB (and not BCG, or other environmental mycobacterial) antigens, but these have not proved totally reliable yet (though the WHO has begun supporting the Quantiferon Gold test, I think....) The OTHER big problem with BCG is that its efficacy is so variable. The only reason it is still given in many countries is that it has shown some (but still variable in clinical trials) efficacy against the more severe forms of tuberculosis in infants and small children (namely, meningeal and disseminated tuberculosis, not pulmonary) in areas where the epidemic is the worst. However, the protective efficacy against adult pulmonary tuberculosis, which is where much of the disease burden (and threat of disease spread!) lies, is very controversial. Some trials have shown negative efficacy, some have shown up to 80%. Basically, its just not good enough. And, in HIV positive or otherwise immunocompromised individuals, BCG (which is a live vaccine) can spread in the host and result in disease equivalent to TB (both pulmonary and disseminated). So, as the threat of HIV/AIDS is increasing, BCG is becoming an even more undesirable vaccine.
Furthermore (again, as many of you astutely noted), the treatment is long (9 months minimum usually for latent infection, with two drugs - isoniazid and rifampin - both very hepatotoxic, and 6-12 months for active disease with 4 antibiotics) and if not conducted properly can result in creation of drug-resistant strains. Thankfully, the DOTs program works well when applied completely, but its difficult to implement in many areas. And, we can't rely totally on treatment to stop the spread of TB, as diagnosis is difficult and cases often go unchecked for a long time (allowing spread) before treatment. Because TB/BCG are slow-growing organisms, and because there is no good established animal model of infection, and no established immune correlates or surrogates for protection, TB vaccine discovery is pretty slow and difficult. Like malaria and HIV/AIDS, TB is mainly protected against by cellular immunity, and we all know how difficult it has been to make vaccines against these other two pathogens (most of the vaccines currently licensed protect against diseases that require humoral immunity- antibodies).
Anyway I apologize for this incredibly long rant, but I find the field of TB vaccines to be really fascinating and am always excited to talk about vaccination issues. Hopefully in the next 10-15 years we will see some progress so that the 20% on this poll can go up to 100%, with a vaccine of 100% efficacy!!!
Love,
P

 

[MirrorTodd]

My other was Anthrax. The Army shot me up with so many different things that it was hard to keep track.

 

[mshheaddoc]

And they are painful aren't they? The anthrax shots?

 

[SuziQ]

im allergic to the pertussis vaccine (anaphalaxis) so I actually got whooping cough a few years ago...it was crazy!!!

 

[browniegirl86]

im allergic to the pertussis vaccine (anaphalaxis) so I actually got whooping cough a few years ago...it was crazy!!!

Yikes!

Was it pretty severe?

 

[forevalwayzz]

I"M AFRAID OF NEEDLE, soooo many of them, ouch, my arms. why do they have to stick it to me even though i'm a conscientious objector.

 

[MirrorTodd]

And they are painful aren't they? The anthrax shots?

No, it wasn't too bad, just some mild burning for a couple minutes. It's a seven shot series, so that kind of makes it worse.

 

[mshheaddoc]

bumping b/c I can.

 

[Hoberto]

Anybody participating in the HPV vaccine trials??

 

[mshheaddoc]

I was going to consider it, but I don't know how much it would change my daily routine. I want to get more info on it. Anyone know some websites about it?

 

[mustangsally65]

Anybody participating in the HPV vaccine trials??

I want to as well. Do you have to be in a bigger area where there are a lot of clinical trials going on (near a med school etc.)?

I'd be interested to see some websites too.The only bad thing about a trial is you don't know if you're getting the actual vaccine or not.

I found this on the CDC website:

Two HPV vaccines are in the final stages of clinical testing. If licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), one of the vaccines may be available in the summer or fall of 2006. Both vaccines would be delivered through a series of three injections over a six-month period.

 

[Hoberto]

I want to as well. Do you have to be in a bigger area where there are a lot of clinical trials going on (near a med school etc.)?

I'd be interested to see some websites too.The only bad thing about a trial is you don't know if you're getting the actual vaccine or not.

I found this on the CDC website:

Yeah, I just got in on this! I am near Cleveland, but I was told they are looking for 4-6000 participants (women over 26) across the country. You could call the research group here and see if they can put you in touch with someone in your area. The number is 888-460-2275 for Rapid Medical Research.

It's a 3 yr study that includes paps and bloodwork. It's a 3 shot series, you get teh first one, then one a month later, then the last one 3 months after that. I was told that they can work around my schedule since I'll be in med school during the trial. After the 3rd shot you have to go in every 3-6 months. You will get the vaccine after the trial if it turns out you got placebo during the study. So you would definitely get the HPV vaccine, plus 450 bucks.

 

[nexinnel]

This is mine, I just came across ,Now I'm wondering about this list it says

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

17-05-1988 COMBIBED DIPHTHERIA, PERTUSSIS, TETANUS VACCINE
14-06-1988 ORAL PLOIO VACCINE
DIPHTHERIA,PERTUSSIS,TETANUS
25-07-1988 ORAL PLOIO VACCINE
DIPHTHERIA,PERTUSSIS,TETANUS
22-09-1988 ORAL PLOIO VACCINE
13-10-1988 DIPHTERIA,PERTUSSIS,TETANUS
ORAL PLOIO VACCINE
30-07-1991 DIPHTHERIA,PERTUSSIS,TETANUS
ORAL PLOIO VACCINE
30-03-1989 MEASLES,MUMPS,RUBELLA
08-03-1988 B.C.G. VACCINE & TUBERCULIN TEST (B.C.G., O.I., ML.
INTRADERMAL LT. BUTTOCK)
28-10-1988 H B VAN II
30-11-1988 H B VAN II
18-05-1989 H B VAN II
23-03-1990 TYPHOLD I
30-04-1990 TYPHOLD II
20-10-1992 TYPHOLD BOOSTER
12-05-1994 BOOSTER DPT,OPV,

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I wonder if "H B VAN II" means Hepatitis B?

Does it? Pls reply thanks


---------------------------------------------------

 

[olemissbabydoc]

I didn't get all my'elective' shots as a child because shots gave me fever and fever gave me seizures. Many many years after the seizures (like, hen I was headed to college) I finished my elective sets.

 

[mshheaddoc]

bumping for posterity.

 

[jochi1543]

MMR, Typhoid, tetanus, polio, smallpox, tuberculosis (BCG).

I had chicken pox/varicella when I was 16. Would NOT suggest that anyone brush it off and not get vaccinated. It's not horrible if you have it as a small child, but the older you get, the worse it is, and the higher the incidence of serious complications. We just don't have it in Russia for laypeople, so it was never an issue. But it was horrible. I still remember how I was sitting with the phone to my ear and suddenly my head started hurting with this dull pain - I put my hands on my head and realized it was EXPANDING under my hands. Turns out it was my lymph nodes going nuts - within maybe 3-5 minutes I had bumps the size of a small apple all over myself.😱 That was even worse than the weeks of disfigurement, lifelong scars, and unbearable itching.👎

 

[Jaded03]

MMR, Typhoid, tetanus, polio, smallpox, tuberculosis (BCG).

I had chicken pox/varicella when I was 16. Would NOT suggest that anyone brush it off and not get vaccinated. It's not horrible if you have it as a small child, but the older you get, the worse it is, and the higher the incidence of serious complications. We just don't have it in Russia for laypeople, so it was never an issue. But it was horrible. I still remember how I was sitting with the phone to my ear and suddenly my head started hurting with this dull pain - I put my hands on my head and realized it was EXPANDING under my hands. Turns out it was my lymph nodes going nuts - within maybe 3-5 minutes I had bumps the size of a small apple all over myself.😱 That was even worse than the weeks of disfigurement, lifelong scars, and unbearable itching.👎

Um. Well this is my major so let's see if I can come up with something relatively intelligent about vericella. Now the disease is more severe when you're older, but you have to realize it's also a herpes virus. It stays latent in a population of your neurons and you live with it with it for the rest of your life and should you be immunocompromised (which hopefully you won't until your older) then you can develop the adult shingles recurrence (like Magic Johnson did..my prof said saw that on the news and he was like...that's weird...and later he confessed having HIV...my prof goes...well i could've told you that...😛). Anyways, the vaccine (a live virus) doesn't develop a perfect immunity. It's efficacy is much lower than actually contracting the disease because you don't develop the disease phenotypically (70-90% not sure what was the number). Anyways, what you do get 100% of is getting viruses infecting your neurons and staying latent, which have just as good a chance of developing shingles should you be immunocompromised. He mentioned that if you're 20 and not vaccinated and haven't had chickenpox, you probably won't run into it for your entire life. Remember, it's a childhood disease, when your immune system is much less developed than you are as an adult. It's harder to contract the disease without being bombarded. Having said that, you probably will be vaccinated as many hospitals require this of their employers unless you culturally decline? 😛 Not really sure here... I was vaccinated to be a secretary in a hospital during high school :S. I was the only one who raised my hand for being vaccinated with vericella zoster in one of my seminars and he was like well now you have a chance of getting shingles..while the 2-5 people who were not vaccinated without contracting chickenpox do not 😛.

 

[jochi1543]

He mentioned that if you're 20 and not vaccinated and haven't had chickenpox, you probably won't run into it for your entire life.

Unless you have kids, of course, and they go to kindergarten/school.

 

[Jaded03]

Unless you have kids, of course, and they go to kindergarten/school.

That's true. However, he said your likelihood of still getting infected is still high. The efficacy of the vaccine doesn't prevent you from constant exposure. If you're willing to be exposed to your kid over and over again, you're going to get it regardless. I knew several people who have "had chicken pox twice". it happens when you're breathing in titer after titer of virus.

I'm not saying you're wrong here. However, all my brothers went to public school and never had it. 😛

 

[Oceaner]

Hmm, I lived abroad when I was young and I had to get a vaccine that has left a circular scar (size of a penny) on my upper arm... is this TB's BCG or for small pox? and should I mention it when/if I do any PPD tests?

(haha, oh yeah and my immunization history is very sketchy, we traveled a lot and everywhere that we went I'd get a shot or two in school... and my parents have like no records besides what they -think- I've been immunized against... I turned out pretty well 😉)

 

[Jaded03]

Hmm, I lived abroad when I was young and I had to get a vaccine that has left a circular scar (size of a penny) on my upper arm... is this TB's BCG or for small pox? and should I mention it when/if I do any PPD tests?

(haha, oh yeah and my immunization history is very sketchy, we traveled a lot and everywhere that we went I'd get a shot or two in school... and my parents have like no records besides what they -think- I've been immunized against... I turned out pretty well 😉)

Circular scar sounds like smallpox. 😛 My mom had BCG and she never showed me such a scar.

You should mention it, but since you don't have any proof, they may have to do the PPD test once and then you can have your chest x-ray.

 

[mshheaddoc]

Circular scar sounds like smallpox. 😛 My mom had BCG and she never showed me such a scar.

You should mention it, but since you don't have any proof, they may have to do the PPD test once and then you can have your chest x-ray.

smallpox vaccine is common with scar. Many people have it, usually . And its not a vaccine they give here in the US anymore (although some disagree with that as its probable use as a biological weapon has increased!) so its not a big deal. The US stopped immunizations in 1972, but high risk groups are continuing to get (i.e. military and I'm sure a few other groups).

 

[kronickm]

This is a great thread! I never would have guessed that vaccines could cause such a stir.

Every medical procedure/drug has significant side effects, medicine is a cost/benefit business. It is fairly obvious that the benefit of vaccines far, far, outweighs the cost. I would much rather take my chances with the meningococcal then be dead in 48 hours from meningitis, not to mention Hep B since I work as a phlebotomist.

The troll earlier, foreverstudent, sounds like one of those crazy cult people who completely refuses all medical care. I am fine if you don't want your shots or to give them to your kids, but if your calling me, or anyone else in medicine an idiot and what not for getting vaccinated, I would say your a few margaritas short of a fiesta.

As far as his rights. You could certainly be a detriment to your patients if you are not properly vaccinated. Could you imagine, working in a peds(or for that matter any immuno-supressed patients) unit and coming down with rubella or something? "It is my right not to get vaccinated" fine, but then it is the hospital/med school's right to not let you within 100 feet of the building. And I guess he is right, Polio and Smallpox were not that bad anyways.

I must say though I do feel a bit odd about vaccinating so early on in life. I don't know much about it but it just seems intuitive to me that developement, especially of the immune system, at least in the first couple months, could be interfered with. I am not yet a doctor though so I don't really know, any knowedgable opinions on this?

 

[UCDavisdude]

u forgot aids. i just got my immunizations for HIV last week.

 

[mshheaddoc]

u forgot aids. i just got my immunizations for HIV last week.

Are you in a clinical trial? There are no FDA approved vaccines.

 

[kronickm]

Interestingly enough, if you get an HIV vaccine you can never donate blood in this country again as per FDA guidelines.

 

[UCDavisdude]

Are you in a clinical trial? There are no FDA approved vaccines.

i was just joking🙂

 

[mshheaddoc]

Interestingly enough, if you get an HIV vaccine you can never donate blood in this country again as per FDA guidelines.

I didn't know that but thanks for the information. 👍

i was just joking

Did you get your mad cow disease vaccine too? 😛 (your avatar!)

 

[alwaysaangel]

smallpox vaccine is common with scar. Many people have it, usually . And its not a vaccine they give here in the US anymore (although some disagree with that as its probable use as a biological weapon has increased!) so its not a big deal. The US stopped immunizations in 1972, but high risk groups are continuing to get (i.e. military and I'm sure a few other groups).

Yeah, but I'm shocked how many people voted that they got it. We must have a lot of 30-40+'s here or a lot of 20-somethings that just have no clue what they've been vaccinated against (leaning towards this)

Also, Oceaner - my bf is from Singapore and he has that penny-sized scar on his arm but its from TB vaccination not Smallpox. So if I had to guess I'd say thats what yours is. Do you test positive on PPD tests?

 

[mshheaddoc]

Yeah, but I'm shocked how many people voted that they got it. We must have a lot of 30-40+'s here or a lot of 20-somethings that just have no clue what they've been vaccinated against (leaning towards this)

Also, Oceaner - my bf is from Singapore and he has that penny-sized scar on his arm but its from TB vaccination not Smallpox. So if I had to guess I'd say thats what yours is. Do you test positive on PPD tests?

Yep TB has also been known to scar, good point. Forgot about that.

As for the amt of Smallpox?

Well, per the CDC

Should I get vaccinated against smallpox?
The smallpox vaccine is not available to the public at this time. (added Nov 13, 2002)

So either they are a) not americans b) military c) healthcare professionals with possible exposures d) they think they got it and really didn't

If you got the smallpox vaccine, you'd know it.

If the vaccination is successful, a red and itchy bump develops at the vaccine site in three or four days. In the first week, the bump becomes a large blister, fills with pus, and begins to drain. During the second week, the blister begins to dry up and a scab forms. The scab falls off in the third week, leaving a small scar. People who are being vaccinated for the first time have a stronger reaction than those who are being revaccinated. The following pictures show the progression of the site where the vaccine is given.

So my guess is some people might have mislabelled and thought it stated chicken pox?

 

[alwaysaangel]

Well, per the CDC



So either they are a) not americans b) military c) healthcare professionals with possible exposures d) they think they got it and really didn't

If you got the smallpox vaccine, you'd know it. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/images/VAXSIT5A.jpg

So my guess is some people might have mislabelled and thought it stated chicken pox?

I doubt it - since most people who are premeds now shouldn't have had vaccinations against Chicken pox either - the vast majority of us just got chicken pox when we were little ( I mean the vaccines only been available since what...2005?)

I'm pretty sure they just think they got it and actually didn't. I have met a lot of people who think they got vaccinated against small pox as children. I really have no idea where the belief comes from for my generation but its relatively prevalent. My virology professor asked who had been and like half the class raised their hands - then he explained that it was highly unlikely any of them were - and it turned out pretty much none of them had been (I think 1/20 who had raised their hands had been - he had been an army brat and had been vaccinated while living in Asia on a military compound).

Hell, my mother called me the other day and asked if she should ask her doctor for a smallpox vaccine...😕...still no clue why she suddenly decided she needed on but I explained to her she couldn't get one and didn't need it.

 

[mshheaddoc]

Varicella vaccine was FDA approved back in 1995 and not everyone gets chickenpox either remember. Unless your mom was a fanatic and took you to chickenpox parties!

But I agree I think some might be confused when they marked smallpox. I used to get them confused with chickenpox when I was younger.

 

[ssquared]

Interestingly enough, if you get an HIV vaccine you can never donate blood in this country again as per FDA guidelines.

The FDA has all sorts of restrictions against donating blood. I'm not surprised that any HIV vaccine would be on it (since they may contain dead viral particles, and after the fiasco back in the 80's with people getting AIDS from blood transfusions they don't want to take that chance again). Hec, I can't donate blood because I had Epstein-Barr induced hepatitis, and I'm totally fine (have been for years).

I haven't read the whole thread, so I wonder if there are any people here who haven't gotten vaccines because their parents think that it causes autism and whatnot. I never realized that vaccines were negotiable until very recently...(not that I'm a big proponent of missing out on them; frankly, I think that it's a risky game to play).

 

[kronickm]

1. I too had an elevated ALT due to EBV and I got reentered in the donor pool. If you feel so inclined you could probably do the same.


2. Read the first page of the thread...meet the troll.

 

[almo88]

I was never immunized until I figured out that I needed to be in order to have medicine as a career. My parents were fearful of the ties to autism, so they chose not to immunize my brother and me. I just had my first shot 2 months ago, and I must say, it wasn't that big of a deal.

 

[Jolie South]

The problem with people still saying there is a autism-vaccination connection is that people can't differentiate between causation and correlation. Unfortunately, I think most Americans aren't that smart to figure this difference out.

There's a correlation between eating ice cream and drownings. Does that mean that eating ice cream leads to drownings? No. They just both happen at the same time of the year typically.

 

[Nokternal7]

There is no Lyme disease vaccine that's currently available.

 

[mshheaddoc]

There is no Lyme disease vaccine that's currently available.

"currently available" - No. Has there been? Yes. 1998 FDA approved the vaccine, which was pulled off the market in 2002 by the makers due to "poor sales" although some claim due to "adverse affects".

 

[lord_jeebus]

Has anyone else gotten a varicella titer following known chicken pox?

I'm sure I had it as a kid (gave it to all my neighbors) but I had to get a titer for a health form and it came back negative. Decided to play it safe and got the vaccine.

Also, does anybody from SF know what's up with the signs/ads for a "herpes vaccine"? It sounds like a trial but it seems pretty deceiving...

 

[Oceaner]

Jaded03

Circular scar sounds like smallpox. My mom had BCG and she never showed me such a scar.

You should mention it, but since you don't have any proof, they may have to do the PPD test once and then you can have your chest x-ray.

alwaysanangel

Also, Oceaner - my bf is from Singapore and he has that penny-sized scar on his arm but its from TB vaccination not Smallpox. So if I had to guess I'd say thats what yours is. Do you test positive on PPD tests?

I haven't done the PPD, yet. haha I asked my parents today if they remembered what this was from and their explanations didn't correlate with one another either... I'm guessing it's smallpox from online readings for the past few minutes (and the fact that the location I was at has eradicated TB but shows presence of smallpox) but I could be wrong. Hooray for international travel and random/unknown shots

oh yeah and to the topic at hand, maybe I'm paranoid but I am not a fan of drug & vaccination trials, I know some people do drug/vacc trials for a little earning, but since the bad england/german case I'm too paranoid to unnecessarily become anyone's lab rat-- bad attitude for a wannabe doctah? maybe, but I like myself too much.

 

[alwaysaangel]

Jaded03


alwaysanangel

I haven't done the PPD, yet. haha I asked my parents today if they remembered what this was from and their explanations didn't correlate with one another either... I'm guessing it's smallpox from online readings for the past few minutes (and the fact that the location I was at has eradicated TB but shows presence of smallpox) but I could be wrong. Hooray for international travel and random/unknown shots

Are you sure? How old are you?

The last documented case of smallpox was 1977 (well naturally occurring - there were two later in the 70s from a lab).

Which is why I'm kind of shocked that anyone who's not majorly non-trad has gotten a smallpox vaccination.

I would mention to your doctor that you MIGHT have had a TB vaccine. They may want to jump straight to the chest x-ray to avoid possible adverse reactions to PPD. (I used to be an MA and we aren't allowed to give PPD tests to people who've been vaccinated against TB)

 

[Oceaner]

Are you sure? How old are you?

The last documented case of smallpox was 1977 (well naturally occurring - there were two later in the 70s from a lab).

Which is why I'm kind of shocked that anyone who's not majorly non-trad has gotten a smallpox vaccination.

I would mention to your doctor that you MIGHT have had a TB vaccine. They may want to jump straight to the chest x-ray to avoid possible adverse reactions to PPD. (I used to be an MA and we aren't allowed to give PPD tests to people who've been vaccinated against TB)

19ish...You're completely right about the smallpox (*blush of shame* I shouldn't bs/check my sources). Nonetheless, I am looking through vaccination schedules and there is a BCG vaccine scheduled for the day of birth on this schedule...? hmm. I got this when I was 6/7.

thanks for the info though, I will definitely keep that in mind!

edit: WHO mentions no smallpox vaccines, it's probably BCG then. woot woot.

 

[Concubine]

I stumbled on this thread and decided to put my 2 cents in...

It is very hard to refute the benefits of immunizations on society as a whole, especially in the past. There were and are some major disease outbreaks virtually eliminated and prevented with vaccines. However, there have been documented and implied cases of adverse affects from vaccinations. Scientists suspect these adverse affects were due to overdoses of heavy metals, which act as neurotoxins. It is impossible to tell how many of these problems resulted from improper administration (such as failure to invert the containers to mix the solution which will leave the heavy metals at the bottom for the last batch of patients). In the past, these heavy metals were an integral part of vaccinations. Realizing this, there has been a movement to replace these heavy metals with other compounds. Especially in Europe, where most vaccinations are now metal-free. Some vaccinations in the U.S. still contain these heavy metals since the the price is less. However, many and most vaccines are now free from these heavy metals are most likely safe.

With everything, there is a risk. When you look at society as a whole, the benefit was much greater than the cost. Howver, it is difficult to come to terms with those few that have been negatively affected. There is still a ton of research that needs to be performed in this area. Like any "cure-all", vaccinations were considered a wonder drug and use is very wide spread. It is not until now that we are actually starting to question their safety. It's a very interesting area, with much of the research starting to focus on the evolutionary aspects of vaccinations. Anyways, I could keep going on but I think I'll end.....

 

[ssquared]

With everything, there is a risk. When you look at society as a whole, the benefit was much greater than the cost. Howver, it is difficult to come to terms with those few that have been negatively affected. There is still a ton of research that needs to be performed in this area. Like any "cure-all", vaccinations were considered a wonder drug and use is very wide spread. It is not until now that we are actually starting to question their safety. It's a very interesting area, with much of the research starting to focus on the evolutionary aspects of vaccinations. Anyways, I could keep going on but I think I'll end.....

I don't think that a lot of people appreciate the risks involved, though. Now they require getting vaccinated against meningitis for all incoming college students who are living in dorms (extends to grad students, too) and people whine about having to get yet another shot, why do I have to do this, this isn't safe, yadda yadda.

Having had meningitis, I certainly have another perspective on the thing: I would much rather have gotten a shot and potentially sufferend the miniscule chance of an adverse side effect that having had the disease. I'm lucky I survived. Most people (thankfully) have never been truly ill enough to appreciate what a vaccine can do for them.

 

[Concubine]

I don't think that a lot of people appreciate the risks involved, though. Now they require getting vaccinated against meningitis for all incoming college students who are living in dorms (extends to grad students, too) and people whine about having to get yet another shot, why do I have to do this, this isn't safe, yadda yadda.

Having had meningitis, I certainly have another perspective on the thing: I would much rather have gotten a shot and potentially sufferend the miniscule chance of an adverse side effect that having had the disease. I'm lucky I survived. Most people (thankfully) have never been truly ill enough to appreciate what a vaccine can do for them.

Sometimes I enjoy playing the devil's advocate...Just another thought: It is also hard to deny the benefits to the drug companies of vaccinations. I have no doubt that a large portion of the vaccination hype is about money. If you can provide a product that everyone "needs", then your business can be VERY profitable.

I am by no means against vaccinations, but as future physicians, we should definitely be aware of the business aspect of this. I would hope that the executives of these companies have everyones health and safety as a first priorty, but as we have all seen in the past, this is usually not the case. Again, just food for thought...

 

[MirrorTodd]

I just tried to find my scar for the smallpox vaccine and there's nothing there. 🙂

 

[LadyLightning20]

You're not too old. I got chickenpox when I was a kid. All my sibs got the vaccine though.

 

[ssquared]

Sometimes I enjoy playing the devil's advocate...Just another thought: It is also hard to deny the benefits to the drug companies of vaccinations. I have no doubt that a large portion of the vaccination hype is about money. If you can provide a product that everyone "needs", then your business can be VERY profitable.

I am by no means against vaccinations, but as future physicians, we should definitely be aware of the business aspect of this. I would hope that the executives of these companies have everyones health and safety as a first priorty, but as we have all seen in the past, this is usually not the case. Again, just food for thought...

Oh, you're absolutely correct. Anybody who has seen all of those "one less" ads on TV knows just how much money there is to be made off of vaccines. I like the idea of the HPV vaccine, but dang it costs a lot, to the point of being unreasonable for many people's budget.

I've got this love/hate relationship with pharm companies because they do stand to profit off terrible illnesses, yet they're the ones that provide us with treatment. Such is life.

 

[dally1025]

Oh, you're absolutely correct. Anybody who has seen all of those "one less" ads on TV knows just how much money there is to be made off of vaccines. I like the idea of the HPV vaccine, but dang it costs a lot, to the point of being unreasonable for many people's budget.

Assuming the vaccine works $360 on a vaccine is a lot less than treating cancer... both financially and psychologically!