Mommamia Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 My doctor called and said that bloodwork showed I need the chicken pox vaccine(I'm not immune or something). They also suggested that I get a tetanus/pertussis vaccine. Would you? why or why not? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Dd hasn't been vaxed in years. We will start her getting updated the two years prior to starting college with a select few. That said, as an adult if I didn't have any immunity to chicken pox/shingles I'd get the shot. And if I hadn't had a tetanus shot in 10 years, one of those too. Unfortunately (or fortunatley depending on how one looks at it) I won't need at tetanus booster just because. I'm clumsy enough to need one due to stepping on something every couple of years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Definitely the tetanus. I'm not sure whether I would do the chickenpox if I hadn't already had the disease. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannah C. Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 I think, due to the nature of tetanus, getting that vaccine is probably a good idea. Pertussis, as far as I know, is a much less serious disease in adults than it is in children -- you could have it and not know that's what you have. However, if you do get pertussis you can give it to children who will be more severely affected, which would be the reason to get that one. (Provided the vaccine actually prevents the germ from spreading or keeps you from getting it -- I've read in places that it only lessens symptoms, but I don't know what the truth is on that.) Chicken pox is miserable if you get it as an adult. However, your chances of getting it are probably rather low. Personally, I would probably get the tetanus, do some research on the other two and consider getting them as well. I wouldn't get the pertussis vaccine unless it would actually prevent getting the disease. With chicken pox, it is possible to get shingles after having had the vaccine, so I would probably weigh the risks of getting shingles versus the chances of actually getting the disease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 i update my vaxxines regularly. i recently had my measles one again, and whooping cough (thank goodness, because i've been exposed to both in the past three years here in california!). reasons: 1) i don't want to get really sick, and here in the usa we have gone a long way to losing herd immunity, so i am more at risk than i would be elsewhere. 2) herd immunity is worth a lot, and want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. i also do the more exotic ones due to travel... fwiw, ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn1129 Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 I, too, have no natural immunity to chicken pox and have never had it. I have been exposed to it multiple times. I believe my chances of getting it now are low. If I get the vaccination, I will be putting myself at risk for shingles in addition to the typical risks of vaccines. So, no chicken pox vax for me. I did, however, get the Tetanus/Pertussis vax. I have babies and small children that I do not want getting pertussis. So to decrease their risk, I got this vaccine as I felt their risk/side effects of having pertussis is greater than my risk/side effects of having the vaccine. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Trust me you DO NOT want to get this as an adult... Mine lasted about 120 days. I had to wear depends (enough said:tongue_smilie:) You are contagious BEFORE you know you have it-- and you can spread it across a supercenter (Super Wal-Mart for example) in one cough! Infants and the elderly are at risk-- it is often fatal for THEM. Immunity lasts only about 2 years-- so I will be getting a Pertussis booster with my next tetanus booster this summer. I don't like to do multiple immunizations at one time but I'm comfortable with this duo. This summer we will take a family trip to Uganda and Kenya-- we WILL be vaccinated for Yellow Fever (luckily mine is still up to date), tetanus (needs to be less than 3 years between because of the high risk) and we may opt for the meningitis too-- DD9 will be going to school for a week or so with the local children at the private school I'll be working (teacher training) at. We will begin vaccinating in March-- and spread them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebug42 Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 I am required to have vaccinations as needed since I work for a hospital. I had to have a measles booster when I got my job because they determined I was no longer immune. I have not had cp vaccinations but I had cp as a child and shingles when I was pregnant with my oldest. I would definitely get the tetanus shot though. As for the cp vaccination, I would do what you feel is best. I would not want to get cp as an adult but I had shingles and that was a terrible experience. I doubt cp as an adult would be much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaillardia Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 My doctor called and said that bloodwork showed I need the chicken pox vaccine(I'm not immune or something). They also suggested that I get a tetanus/pertussis vaccine. Would you? why or why not? Thanks! Being who I am, I would not get any. I had chicken pox as a teenager, it was horrible. If you have not had chicken pox and you get it as an adult, you could get shingles instead. Vaccinations are not an absolute safeguard against the diseases they are supposed to protect you from, and some vaccines can make some people very sick. A doctor told me that very few people in America die from tetanus and plenty of people get tetanus each year. Pertussis is generally a childhood disease, the ones who are at most risk from dying from pertussis are infants and young children. Being who I am, if I had not had chicken pox, no, I would not get the vaccine. No, I would not get the tetanus vac., and no, I would not get the pertussis vac. Some friends from Romania told me they travel a lot and don't get vaccines for anything. They think it is a lot of hype. I've heard that from more than a few friends from other countries.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 They added the pertussis vax to the tetanus shot because the lower dose vax they gave children after a certain date (in the 60's iirc) has been found to be less effective long term, meaning we're all adults and it's wearing off. At the same time, pertussis, aka whooping cough, is back in force and has had several major outbreaks - including for adults. A friend of mine (an adult) had it and it was quite serious - her life was never in danger, but it put her down for about three months. I'm not saying anyone should or should not get it done (though I don't know how easy it is to get the tetanus shot without the pertussis now that they changed it) just trying to add to the information with the little that I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrystal Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 If you get pregnant with no chicken pox immunity and then are exposed to chicken pox (which is most contagious in the days before the rash appears) it can cause serious birth defects in a developing child. Tetanus is a pretty horrible and easily preventable disease. It is reccomeneded that everyone have a shot every 8-10 years or whenever your titers are low. The main thing with pertussis is if you catch it (and again most transmittable in the first days when you might not even know that's what you have) you can transmit it to a baby who may not have had enough (or any) of the series to be immune. Infants die every year from pertussis and it's complications. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommamia Posted January 25, 2011 Author Share Posted January 25, 2011 Thanks for all your input. I'm still not sure what to do. I would definitely get the tetanus vax(they added pertussis to it), but I'm not sure when I had it last. I can't find my vax records and cannot remember. My Dr told me that it should be at least 2 yrs between...:tongue_smilie:just don't know. The chicken pox vax has me on the fence. I could have sworn I had shingles 20 yrs ago and my mom swears that I had cp. Guess not. The decision is making me crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 CP would be rough on an adult. I am seriously considering the shingles vax and I am not huge on vaxes. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 (edited) My doctor called and said that bloodwork showed I need the chicken pox vaccine(I'm not immune or something). They also suggested that I get a tetanus/pertussis vaccine. Would you? why or why not? Thanks! If I weren't immune to chicken pox, I would definitely get the vaccine if I were planning a pregnancy. The risk of birth defects and/or infection is small, but the outcome can be serious. Edited January 25, 2011 by TrixieB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommamia Posted January 25, 2011 Author Share Posted January 25, 2011 There is no risk of a pregancy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 If you are not immune to CP, you *should* get the CP vax. Getting the CP as an adult is a *very serious disease.* It makes the Shingles look like a walk in the park. There is more... but here are just the basic stats: Complications of Adult Chickenpox Chickenpox complications are more likely to occur in adults than in children. Despite the fact that adults account for only 5 percent of chickenpox cases per year, they account for a disproportionate number of deaths (55 percent) and hospitalizations (33 percent) compared to children. Most complications of adult chickenpox are caused by an infection from bacteria. These bacteria can cause chickenpox complications that include: Skin or soft tissue infections Pneumonia (usually more severe in adults, as well as children over 13 years old) Bone infections (osteomyelitis) Joint infections (septic arthritis) Toxic shock syndrome. Other serious adult chickenpox complications directly related to the chickenpox virus can include: Infection of the brain (encephalitis) Bleeding problems Cerebellar ataxia. Moreover, you will be contagious with CP before you *ever* show symptoms, meaning, you could pass it to people (immuno suppressed, pregnant women, who don't know they are pregnant, children, elderly, etc.) If it were me, and I weren't immune to CP, I'd get all of them, but especially the CP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I haven't had a tetanus shot since 1983. And I do not plan on getting one. Unless I am at the ER getting stitched up for something that I cut myself on. Chicken Pox I would do as an adult if I didn't have it as a child. That is probably the only one I would do. Only because this is an airborne disease and can be so dangerous for an adult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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