Measle-y Meg

[YPestis]

People have forgotten that many of those diseases that vaccination prevents were once horrible scourges of humanity. My parents grew up in China and remembered people crippled by polio, scarred by small pox and little children dying from unknown viral illnesses. It boggles the mind that some parents would rather see their kids in the intensive care unit than have a needle stuck on them....'cause let me tell you, the ICU will stick about 100x more needles into your kid!

I also hate the argument that people should be allowed to do whatever they want....well, yes, I agree on principle, but there are a lot of young children, pregnant, immunocompromised and elderly people that cannot receive the vaccine. Exposure to healthy carriers of these diseases can be fatal. I guess it comes down to how much you understand the principle of vaccination. And yes, I do have an idea of what goes into vaccines. I also know what goes into "natural" herbal supplements. I seriously doubt most antivacciners can explain to me the pathophysiology of vaccinations or understand what those so-called natural remedies are made from, Dr. Google notwithstanding.....

[gustava]

Shingles is caused when the chickenpox virus, which lies dormant along dorsal nerve roots after you've had the disease is reactivated. It is not related to measles.

I haven't read the blog yet, is it German measles (rubella), or measles the child has? We've had a few outbreaks in MN in the past year. Some of the cases occurred in children too young to get the MMR immunization.

Hi Nurse Nell -- I already apologized for my ignorance :?

[Cannelle]

I also know what goes into "natural" herbal supplements.

Or not, since they're not regulated whatsoever. *shudders* Let's just say I know about these things, and the amount of things that AREN'T supposed to be in some of those supplements (or in anything else, like fish, air, water, etc) far exceeds acceptable levels, and those supplement companies DO NOT CARE.

[tankgirl]

Well, I'm glad they're keeping her relatively isolated, but find it amusing/sad that the reason is to protect her, not to protect the general population from a child with a highly contagious, serious disease. And I hope her parents have either had the vaccine or the disease, as it can have devastating effects in older people.

Measles is a dangerous viral infection, and routinely killed or permanently disabled many children prior to the vaccine. It is not a "mild" childhood disease, as so many people who have never experienced it seem to believe.

:angry-screaming:

I have to say this is what bothered me the most tooo. She had only a slim worry for MIL, but otherwise, everyone else got to breathe baby Measles breath and bugger them, I am only worrying about my snowflake. What does she expect the other kids and family to do, not breath or touch the baby? Those germs are already all over the place, and if it is measles I feel terrible for those who sat aroound her and start to get measles and keep passing it on. Ugh, stupid people!

[divadivine]

Strangely enough my cousin and I both had rubella back in the late 80's. Both of us were up-to-date on our immunizations. The county health nurse couldn't really figure it out. My cousin was only 3 at the time, so the nurse said perhaps she didn't have enough immunity built up. They didn't really know how I came down with it, too. I think it's because I'm the one person who gets the strange illnesses. I've had rubella, pleurisy, and most recently- Shingles. I thought it was acne in my scalp. The dermatologist asked if I had heard of shingles-- I said "Yeah, my grandma had shingles years ago." He told me "You have shingles." And I said "I'm too young to have shingles!!" Clearly, I wasn't too young to have shingles.

I think we will see more and more of these illnesses make a comeback because these parents don't seem to think they should immunize their children because they have been led to believe vaccines are bad and it will hurt their children. If vaccines were so bad all of us would be seriously messed up.... however, that's not the case is it? They seem to forget this when they are up on their soap box telling everyone "Vaccines are BAD!!!!!!!"

[NurseNell]

Hi Nurse Nell -- I already apologized for my ignorance :?

I hadn't yet come to your reply post when I posted. Sorry. But I bet now you'll always remember what shingles is. 8-)

[NurseNell]

Strangely enough my cousin and I both had rubella back in the late 80's. Both of us were up-to-date on our immunizations. The county health nurse couldn't really figure it out.

The MMR used to be given at 12 months but studies showed that didn't provide enough immunity in many cases so most clinics went to giving it at 15 months. You probably got it at 12 months, I would guess. Now most states require 2 doses, the first dose is back to 12 months, second dose before kindergarten. Immunity isn't an exact science. With any given immunization there is about a 5% failure to develop immunity.

[nutella addict]

I don't know if any of you ever watch Private Practice, but I used to watch it and there was one episode where a boy came down with measles because his brother had autism so the mother stopped vaccinating all of her children, and even when her son was dying in the PICU, and then did die, she was freaking out that the doctor was insisting on vaccinating her remaining two sons in the hopes that it would still work now that they'd been exposed to their brother.

I'm guessing they took their cue from the stupidity of families like this. Thank God I know nobody this dim in real life. Everyone I know has been vaccinated according to the state schedule.

That said, I was too old for the chicken pox vaccine, it didn't come out until I was older, and I caught it when I was 2. My sister, 1 at the time, caught it from me and my mom was actually happy because we got over it at the same time and were then immune - this was pre-vaccine and I think there may have been some intentional spreading among our family friends too. I remember the parents talking about it when we were still kids, how they were grateful we had it as children and were done with it now. We all had mild cases and yes, we're at risk for shingles, but we managed to get over it at a young age instead of when we were old enough for it to be more severe and also memorable. And at least then we could hang out with my brother when he came along a few years later and caught it a few years after that. I hear shingles is awful, but I also just don't see the chicken pox vaccine as being quite as vital as the MMR one.

Then again, I also only just got my first ever flu shot this year at 23, but really for the normal vaccines for serious things I've had them all. Including those for traveling abroad like the Hep A one. So I guess I just need to know it's serious before I agree to get it.