ktgrok Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 Vaccines are an individual decision for a a small but growing number of people in this country who depend on herd immunity and have the privilege of eschewing immunization thanks to those who do not. It is a selfish and arrogant stance, confirmed by no science, bouyed up by internet quackery, which has arisen from a charlatan's research and grown out of fear of autism. In reality what vaccination is, (and what is most concerning about this rise in refusals to participate in what has been undeniably the single most lifesaving medical innovation ever since hand washing), is a public health campaign to keep all kids healthy. Some kids should not be vaccinated for valid medical reasons, which was what the poster was referring to. that's not quackery. Denying that there are risks and benefits to any medication, including vaccines, is quackery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 Very few. Far more are choosing not to vaccinate based on nothing more than what amounts to superstition. Yes, but the person in this thread was not one of those people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 This was a timely thread for us, too, but I was afraid to open in case someone was saying how dangerous the vaccine is. Ds just went in for his Boy Scout camp physical Thursday. We have done some delayed vaccinations, so we did some catch-up on this visit. Dtap and meningitis. Dh had taken him to the appointment and he has always been very worried about meningitis after a co-worker at the university he worked at got it. She survived, but it was touch and go for a while. She had been fine the previous day. Ds ended up taking an afternoon nap, which he never does, even after staying up all night with friends, but that was the extent of his vaccine reaction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 This URL explains the law in the State of Texas: http://www.admissions.ttu.edu/index.php/admission-financial_aid/meningitis-vaccine/ Note that they waive the requirement for applicants above the age of 22. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 Note that they waive the requirement for applicants above the age of 22. What is the reasoning behind this? It's not like 22 and over can't get meningitis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 What is the reasoning behind this? It's not like 22 and over can't get meningitis. I have no idea. If people above the age of 22 have immunity, I would understand that law, but, if not, then I don't understand it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Because normally students who are over 21 are exempt from living on campus/in dorms. Yes, but they are still in classrooms, restaurants and other places where a lot of people gather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 How is it that states have various exemptions (religious, personal, medical) and we can use those for secondary school but aren't allowed to use them for colleges? That doesn't make sense. We don't vax. Period. Not starting a debate here. But those exemptions are in place for a reason and should esp. be honored at state-funded colleges/universities. :/ Many districts are starting to question and/or fight against vaccine exemptions. I've linked a court case below; it is narrow in scope, but the latest ruling comes down firmly on the side of parents not having an all encompassing right to send unvaccinated children to school: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/23/nyregion/judge-upholds-policy-barring-unvaccinated-students-during-illnesses.html?_r=0 http://www.vox.com/2014/6/24/5837968/court-ruling-parents-dont-have-the-right-to-send-their-unvaccinated Yes, but they are still in classrooms, restaurants and other places where a lot of people gather. What is the reasoning behind this? It's not like 22 and over can't get meningitis. It's probably a combination of factors. Bacterial meningitis is most common in those under 20, especially those living in a community setting. So, those 22 and up are both much less likely to get it, and much less likely to be living in a communal setting. Classrooms and restaurants can be crowded, but aren't on a par with actually living in a dorm. If a person feels strongly about not getting this vaccine, I hope they also feel strongly about not living in a dorm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 My daughter waived getting it for her freshman year but now you all have me freaked out. Can blood test be done to check for immunity? She's had some vaccinations. Meningitis can be both viral and bacterial, so you can't do a titers test like you can for chicken pox. Bacterial meningitis is what most folks are worried about - bacterial meningitis is usually much milder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ma23peas Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 Let's keep something in perspective... 100-150 cases of bacterial meningitis occur each year on college campuses...five to fifteen die each year.... In 1990-1991 (prior to the vaccine push) 43 cases of meningitis were found in over 4.9 million college students...largest study focused on meningitis.. We are talking a risk lower than being hit by a car, death by drowning, death by fire, accident while at work resulting in death, choking, poisoning...just trying to make a point. My son has a history with severe and debilitating reactions to vaccines...my example was offered because it was asked for...opinions whose prime motivation is to attack as a method for communicating their ideas are useless chatter and inflammatory. Offer something useful, it's the only way we increase our understanding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 My son has a history with severe and debilitating reactions to vaccines...my example was offered because it was asked for...opinions whose prime motivation is to attack as a method for communicating their ideas are useless chatter and inflammatory. Offer something useful, it's the only way we increase our understanding. Useful? The more students who can handle the vaccs get them, the more the disease decreases in numbers. This not only protects those who got the vacc, but also students (and others) like yours who can't physically tolerate the vacc. This NBC article is quite a good one for people contemplating their options and the risks. Note that the risks of serious consequences from the vacc are lower than the risk of getting the disease. ;) (I assume that is for students without known reactions to vaccs. With known reactions, I'd be seriously contemplating things.) http://www.nbcnews.com/id/20519953/ns/health-infectious_diseases/t/killer-college-meningitis-threatens-students/#.U61JKLGROuI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavandula Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 "We are talking a risk lower than being hit by a car, death by drowning, death by fire, accident while at work resulting in death, choking, poisoning..." The point is that being hit by a car, death by drowning, death by fire, etc. isn't contagious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 The point is that being hit by a car, death by drowning, death by fire, etc. isn't contagious. I also have always given my guys my best ideas/thoughts and actual actions to avoid all of the above too. Why should meningitis be any different? All of these may be small risks in the overall scheme of life, but I don't care to be the one that news stories are made of and if there's an easy way to help prevent it... well, it's as much of a no brainer as advising them not to swim by themselves even though they'd have likely been ok every time we've been swimming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 Useful? The more students who can handle the vaccs get them, the more the disease decreases in numbers. This not only protects those who got the vacc, but also students (and others) like yours who can't physically tolerate the vacc. This NBC article is quite a good one for people contemplating their options and the risks. Note that the risks of serious consequences from the vacc are lower than the risk of getting the disease. ;) (I assume that is for students without known reactions to vaccs. With known reactions, I'd be seriously contemplating things.) http://www.nbcnews.com/id/20519953/ns/health-infectious_diseases/t/killer-college-meningitis-threatens-students/#.U61JKLGROuI I think this is a point worth dwelling on, at least for a moment. My old college room-mate has been a woman on a mission for the last couple of years, ever since she and her daughter both caught whooping cough and were hospitalized. Not only are (otherwise healthy) people opting out of vaccinating, but there is now doubt about the lifetime benefit of the whooping cough vaccine. My understanding is that the recommendation is now to get a booster every ten years (fortunately it is included in the tetanus vaccination). I live in an area with a lot of tourists, a lot of folks who travel to other countries to work or visit family, and a lot of workers who come up from Mexico to work. The first week we were here, there were posters in our grocery store announcing that it had been a possible contagion site for a man who had been diagnosed with measles. As of Feb, there had been 32 cases of measles in the state, 14 of which had been intentionally unvaccinated. (I don't know how many were medically indicated and how may were a choice.) My son right now has a hacking cough that I'm treating and watching to see if it develops into something more. My room-mate reminded me recently that I had not taken some of the vaccinations in college. Mostly I was skipping the flu vaccine, because of a thimerosol sensitivity. And every one of my classmates who did line up in those dark mornings for shots helped to keep me healthier. Since SARS in 2003, I've gone ahead and resumed even the flu vaccine; I just wait a longer amount of time to make sure that I don't have a reaction. Yes, every family has to make an informed decision. For some, medical necessity will weigh in favor of skipping or delaying or being selective about which vaccines are taken. But that informed decision also needs (imho) to acknowledge that not only do vaccines save lives, but they do protect our more susceptible neighbors who have to opt out. ETA: There might be an issue of better reporting, but the most recent info on measles I found was that there have been 60 confirmed cases in CA as of June 2014. There were only eight confirmed cases in the similar period in 2013. I realize this drifts away from the OP question about the meningitis vaccine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 Interestingly, the meningitis vaccine is only recommended, not required, at my daughter's college (a private university); she'll still be getting it. Also, I was looking it up the other day online to read about it, and it said it was especially recommended for people with a certain kind of hearing loss, because apparently the different anatomical structure which is present in that type of hearing loss makes them more prone to getting meningitis. My daughter actually has a hearing loss too, though I'm not sure if it's the same kind. Is the meningitis shot a yearly shot? (Edited to correct spelling. :)) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 My son got the meningitis vaccine, but when he enrolled at the local CC, they never asked about his vaccination status. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 Is the meningitis shot a yearly shot? My two older college kids only needed it prior to freshman year. My guess is that it lasts longer. It's only a guess, but they'd be getting it as often as recommended. Middle son has had a lot of vaccs this past year with his trips to Haiti and the Ivory Coast (plus he opts for the flu shot). No one has recommended he update meningitis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geodob Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 The primary issue with vaccines, is if they are recieved when one has a 'compromised immune system'. So that vaccines should be preceded by an assessment of ones immune system. Both from a historical and current status. So that vaccines can be given when ones immune system is able to cope and avoid any adverse response. With vaccines that cross the 'brain/blood barrier'. The problem with a compromised immune system? Is that instead of the immune system producing anti-bodies in response to the vaccine anti-gens? An temporary inflammation is caused. Which when occurs in the brain, causes de-myelination and brain damage. So that the logical approach, is to firstly confirm that one's immune system will be able to cope and produce anti-bodies to a vaccine, and not have an adverse inflammatory response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 I wouldn't mess around with the meningitis shot. My dd had a whole bunch of shots before college, I can't remember what all she had, but there were at least three, including meningitis, Gardisil, and maybe a Hep? I think she put off a tetanus shot, not sure. But the combination of the three caused her to almost pass out at the doctor's office. It was more than a little concerning, and I'm so glad I was in the room with her. It was within 5 mins. of getting the shots, and dd was getting dressed after the nurse left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkateLeft Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 My son got the meningitis vaccine, but when he enrolled at the local CC, they never asked about his vaccination status. I went back to school this year at a local technical CC. When I went to register for fall classes, I had a registration hold due to needing "proof of vaccination." They hadn't questioned my registration at all during the previous semesters, but they said there had been recent legal changes. Fortunately, they let me self-report and sign off on the vax, rather than going home to get my yellow WHO card! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 Is the meningitis shot a yearly shot? No. CDC recommends getting it at 11-12 and then a booster at 16. If the initial dose is given at 13-15, a booster should be given at 16-18. If the first dose is administered at 16, no booster is needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavandula Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 No. CDC recommends getting it at 11-12 and then a booster at 16. If the initial dose is given at 13-15, a booster should be given at 16-18. If the first dose is administered at 16, no booster is needed. Yep, this is what we did. DD got it at 11 (when she entered middle school, I believe it might have been required then) and she'll get the booster in August when she turns 16. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 After doing enough research to make an informed decision, my daughter went to the clinic today for a basic pre-college check-up and to get the meningitis vaccine. Turns she had already had it, over two years ago! Whoops! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 Yes, but they are still in classrooms, restaurants and other places where a lot of people gather. It's communal contact via living quarters that seems to be the risk factor for meningiococcal meningitis. It is also seen in similar proportions in military barracks. The actual mode of transmission is not perfectly clearly understood yet. What is understood is that living in close quarters with many other people puts one at risk for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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