SKL Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 True that shingles can develop from the vaccine, but the risk is lower. From the CDC website: "Chickenpox vaccines contain weakened live VZV, which may cause latent (dormant) infection. The vaccine-strain VZV can reactivate later in life and cause shingles. However, the risk of getting shingles from vaccine-strain VZV after chickenpox vaccination is much lower than getting shingles after natural infection with wild-type VZV. For more information about how natural infection with wild-type VZV causes shingles, see Shingles Overview. Lab testing is needed to determine if a person got shingles from vaccine-strain VZV or from wild-type VZV." I am curious how they determined the risk of shingles in vaxed vs. unvaxed people, since most people who have had the chickenpox vax are still on the younger side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whereneverever Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 I know lots of kids do fine with multiple vaxes at once. However, I watched my sister be sick for 6 months (as in not able to play outside at all for a whole summer and more) after being given MMR, DPT and polio at the same time around age 5. She also developed lifelong epilepsy, which is documented to be caused sometimes by the MMR. So I would not be in a huge hurry personally. I do not see a reason to take the risk of bombarding an unvaxed child when you don't even know how she reacts to vaxes. The diseases you're trying to avoid are all pretty rare in most US locations today. MMR can cause febrile seizures which is not the same as epilepsy. Do you have any links from reputable sites about that? They've done studies that epilepsy is no more common in kids who have had a febrile convulsion after the MMR than other kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whereneverever Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 I don't know if it's ok to post this; but in regards to the flu vaccine, I found this post to be incredibly helpful in my decision. http://www.intoxicatedonlife.com/2014/10/15/truth-about-flu-vaccine/ The Redwineandapplesauce post I linked above answers all of these. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeking Squirrels Posted November 11, 2014 Author Share Posted November 11, 2014 So I called in and they said they don't really need us to talk with their doctor and that when we come in they can just look up what is recommended next if we don't know what to do. She said they only do a second flu shot If the child is under 1, but I'll check again with someone when we go in since several have said they'll need two and I read it on the cdc site too IIRC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whereneverever Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 The CDC does say they need two since it's their first set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 So I called in and they said they don't really need us to talk with their doctor and that when we come in they can just look up what is recommended next if we don't know what to do. She said they only do a second flu shot If the child is under 1, but I'll check again with someone when we go in since several have said they'll need two and I read it on the cdc site too IIRC. They just changed the recommendations this year about the flu shot which may be the confusion. It used to be everyone under a certain age needed two shots if it was their first year or if they had only gotten one shot the previous year. Now, the recommendation is they only need one if they have every had one but since your kids have never had one they should get two. Clear as mud? The recs are here. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/acip/2013-summary-recommendations.htm#vaccine-dose-children Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamakelly Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 So I called in and they said they don't really need us to talk with their doctor and that when we come in they can just look up what is recommended next if we don't know what to do. I wouldn't do that. My ds was 6 when we started to vaccines with him, and my ped. recommended waiting until he turned 7 to do the DTaP shot. Apparently when they turn 7 they need less shots, and a different shot for that one. What your pediatrician recommends may be different. He suggested my oldest start with different shots than my younger kids etc...You really do want to come up with a plan, especially with a 6 year old, there's a different set of recommendations when they are 7. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeking Squirrels Posted November 11, 2014 Author Share Posted November 11, 2014 I want to say thank you to everyone for replying. I know I haven't been able to respond to most but we have been reading through all of them and considering everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 I think you've gotten some good recommendations. We do selective & delayed vaccination at our doctor's recommendation because our family has an extreme history of bad reactions. I don't give routine flu shots to my kids because a couple years ago I was on the nursing staff at a hospital that required us to all get the flu vaccine and the bird flu vaccine. We got a "bad batch" and something like 60% of the shots given caused nerve damage. I had strange sensations, numbness, and the feeling of water running down my right leg constantly. I actually went in for testing to see if I had MS, and when nothing was found they looked up my work vaccine record and decided it was caused by the flu vaccine. Now I (and 60% of the people that had a similar reaction at that hospital) can never get a flu shot again, even if another really deadly strain starts to circulate, or we'll be at risk for serious complications. So, if a deadly strain comes around, I'll give them the shot for the deadly strain. But I'm not going to do so for healthy kids for a routine flu season. Especially not when the flu death rates are vastly overinflated. I've probably had 100 patients die from pneumonia, 4 elderly patients die from stomach flu complications, but only 2 die from influenza complications. Granted that's only a small sample, but I suspect the flu is far less deadly than we're commonly told. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elisabet1 Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 I have stopped giving shots when they are young. Then I found that after 3 yrs old, many of the shots are no longer even recommended. Start with the whooping cough one. Research each one individually. Not every shot is a good one. I still won't do the chicken pox one or any of the Hep ones. But I also will not do anything embryo derived, and I won't do anything that will simply wear off in a few years where the illness gets more deadly with age. Let's face it, it is a rare young adult that will willingly get a shot. Even if they did not mind shots, they usually feel a bit invincible. There is not a whole lot else after that for kids over 3. You will probably just do the whooping cough shot, polio, MMR, and that is about it. There is a meningitis shot, but it seems like there is one for little ones and then one for older ones, but I am unsure if they have it for the middles. At this age, they won't do stuff like HIB or rotavirus shots. Oh, and if you are opposed to embryo derived, check the brand names and cross reference online. The whooping cough shot and MMR are now available in an embryo derived form, but still available in regular so you should be able to ask for the one that fits what you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 Oh, and if you are opposed to embryo derived, check the brand names and cross reference online. The whooping cough shot and MMR are now available in an embryo derived form, but still available in regular so you should be able to ask for the one that fits what you want. Please tell me you're talking about chicken embryos. If I hear the "vaccines are grown in dead babies" lie one more time, I'm going to scream. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2samlibby Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 Please tell me you're talking about chicken embryos. If I hear the "vaccines are grown in dead babies" lie one more time, I'm going to scream. According to this article (and the CDCis one of the sources), it isn't just chickens. http://www.immunizationinfo.org/issues/vaccine-components/human-fetal-links-some-vaccines and this one. http://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/human-cell-strains-vaccine-development Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 I've never done flu shots for my kids. (and only twice for myself due to being immune compromised.) one thing to consider- how sick do they get with respiratory infections? are they in daycare? do they get lots of exposure to other kids? I would do those things first that are most likely to be encountered, then onto the ones with the most serious side effects. when the chicken pox vac came out - I had my two youngest vacc'd. (the other's had it.) that is one you are still likely to see. measles is one you're still likely to see - especially if you live in an area with an immigrant population. around here - active measles cases occasionally make the local news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 Prevnar and HiB are important preventers of meningitis. my kids had rec's for those in late high school/heading to college. unless they've changed the rec's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 I am curious how they determined the risk of shingles in vaxed vs. unvaxed people, since most people who have had the chickenpox vax are still on the younger side. 2dd had chkpx at 2 (that is a story! :cursing:.) she had shingles at 7. fortunately, they were both relatively minor cases. so, three who had it, and two who were vacc'd. I had a friend whose daughter was so sick - they were testing her for leukemia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 2dd had chkpx at 2 (that is a story! :cursing:.) she had shingles at 7. fortunately, they were both relatively minor cases. so, three who had it, and two who were vacc'd. I had a friend whose daughter was so sick - they were testing her for leukemia. Sorry, I am not understanding what you are telling me here. Are you saying your child who got shingles at 7 (never heard of that before) was vaxed or unvaxed? They were also testing my sister for cancer after she got sick from having multiple vaxes at once. (That was before the chickenpox vax came out.) Every adult I know in my generation or older had the chickenpox. Most have not had shingles as far as I know. I did get it for a few months when I was in my 30s. I attributed it to an extremely stressful time in my life. I knew one other person who got shingles in her 30s - also during a period of very high stress. Other than me, nobody in my family ever had shingles, including my parents and grandparents. But if shingles is the concern, they have a vax for shingles. It seems to me that people worried about shingles should get a shingles vax in adulthood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 According to this article (and the CDCis one of the sources), it isn't just chickens. http://www.immunizationinfo.org/issues/vaccine-components/human-fetal-links-some-vaccines and this one. http://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/human-cell-strains-vaccine-development And like I said, not grown in dead babies. Not grown in any kind of human embryo. A cell line that was jump started from fetal tissue some fifty years ago is not the same thing as creating vaccines in aborted fetuses, which is what a lot of anti-vax people wrongly claim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 my kids had rec's for those in late high school/heading to college. unless they've changed the rec's. The one for teens is a different meningitis vaccine. My oldest got it last year even though she'd previously had the Prevnar and Hib shots as a baby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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