Tetanus/Percussis and Meningitis vaccine...Kim, others?

[Claire]

Hi Kim (or anyone else that has paid attention to vaccines.)

 

My son had his biannual check up today. The GP wanted to give him a tetanus/percussis booster and a meningitis vaccine (both of which he said no longer had thimerisol in them).

 

Have you read anything about these vaccines? I know if I did them, I would space them, but it makes me very nervous.

 

It has been 8 years since his last tetanus booster, and technically they are due every 10 years, but he says they are pushing for greater frequency at this age due to commonly getting injured. My son is active and is always getting scraped up in a big way.

 

We have apparently also had some sporadic meningitis outbreaks. This meningitis vaccine is a newer version that he said he only been around for 4 years, but the older one (which is similar) has been around longer.

 

Claire

[kim]

Claire,

 

I am going to respond to this on a thread that was recently started here. It's titled "Flu shot linked to tics?"

 

[Cum Passus]

Claire

 

I guess I forgot this big piece of info when I was crying on the forums shoulder. Before last Nov. my sons TS was so mild we didn't even know he had TS. My son has 2 sisters, one in front the other in back. Oct. of 2005 my 14 year old now 15 was due the shots. Since all three kids were with me they said my son could have them too. So I let him have them thinking I was saving him time to worry about them. Well late in Oct. I had there picture taken and my son looked yellow in the photo. A few weeks later BAM!!!! He exploded with all kinds of tics. I know this had something to do with the onset, but also think it could be the age too. I wanted you to know because he was given both shots you mentioned, and I am so sick about it. I will have to think long and hard about giving the younger sister the shots, now that I know it is in the genes.

 

If anyone has any encouraging info about the connection with shot and how long one is affected by them I would be very greatful.

 

Many thanks,

C.P.

[Claire]

Cum Passas,

 

Thanks soooo much for relaying this (though I am very very sorry to hear it). Which shot was it???? The tetanus or meningitis?

 

Kim,

 

I will check the flu shot thread, thanks!

 

Claire

[Cum Passus]

Claire,

 

It was both Tetanus and meningitis at the same time. I Wish I had known he had TS before that. I don't get it? My daughter is just fine after having the shots. That is so strange. But I do have some good news My mother-in-law kept very good records of the shots her kids got. My husband having the gene passed down from his father had a bunch of shots.

 

6-8 weeks DPT injection oral polio

one month later second DPT injection

12 month smallpox vaccination

12 months live-virus measles vaccine

DPT booster, polio booster with trivalent oral vaccine (dont know what that is)

2 years DPT booster

4 years DPT booster

5-6 years DPT, polio,smallpox

8 years adult-type DT (mother notices head shaking around this age, lasts 2 years)

12 years adult-type DT booster mumps vaccination ( after the head shaking his vocal started)

His brother thinks the vocal was less noticable at 17-18 years.

 

I am so happy she left this info because I have been so sad that she died and I can't talk to her about my husbands TS. Like I said before if you met my husband you would never know he had TS.

 

let me know what you think, is this good news for us worried moms & dads?

 

C.P.

[Claire]

CP,

 

Thanks again for this information, it really makes a difference knowing this. Wow, to think our doctor would have given those exact shots to my son yesterday...if it hadn't been for Kim's frequent rants about it being the vaccines themselves, not just the thimerisol, I might have done at least one of them. I have read research on that for autism, but I haven't looked at it in a couple of years.

 

I really should try to figure out when my son had his last shots...I wonder if it correlates.

 

Not sure what you mean by 'good news for moms'? Do you mean good news that your husbands TS subsided as an adult? I think I read somewhere that some portion get better on their own...can't remember what it was though!

 

I did let him have the TB test yesterday..I hope that was okay! So far, no issues though

 

Claire

[kim]

CP/Claire,

 

CP, I have wondered about this so often! Thank you so much for posting that, and thank you to your mother in law!

 

When I look at the vaccine issues in regards to TS, I'm looking mostly for an increase in incidence, and as you pointed out, a possible increase in severity of symptoms.

 

As more people become aware, maybe we will get more information from other posters.

 

Claire, From spending time on autism bds. and talking to parents, it seems pretty evident to me that there are too many kids that are too young to have had the load of thimerosal that many kids got during the period of time from the late 90's to the early 2000's, when Hep B and Hib were added.

 

This is part of a post that I decided not to post earlier.

 

Conversation I had with two different parents

 

My son had his 2 month immunizations. He started projectile vomiting. We took him to ER, where they rehydrated him. It continued. Back to ER. He also started with bloody stools. They sent us to a university hospital. He was diagnosed with casein intolerance.

 

This Mom is nursing. She has to TOTALLY avoid casein. Even trace amounts cause baby to start symptoms again.

 

2nd Mom

 

I'm holding her son at a party. He burped. She grabbed a cloth and said "watch out, he'll be spitting up all over you any minute. He did. Then she told me that he's been doing this since his shots. His eyes were all watery. She said that he had started showing signs of allergies. She said "guess he lucked out and inherited my allergies." This baby will be 6 mos. old shortly. He is still spitting up constantly. He is also having some respiratory problems. They are talking asthma. I'm so scared of what might happen when he gets his 6 mo. shots.

 

The second Mom's story, did not land them in ER. Does that mean his problem was not vax related? Had they been involved in a study, it would not have been related to the vaccines.

 

The first Mom was never offered a VAERS form.

[Claire]

Hi Kim,

 

I am amazed that they actually published a study about the flu shot not making significant impact on the younger kids. Good for parents to know!

 

I tried to tell a pregnant mother about at least spacing the MMR and she thought I was nuts. Yes, how many more kids?

 

At least the siblings of the kids whose parents post here will have the advantage of an informed parent.

 

Gosh, yesterday, the doctor wanted my son to have:

1. Tetanus/percussus

2. Meningitis

3. Chicken pox booster. Fortunately (!), he got chicken pox after the first vaccine, so I never have to worry about the booster.

 

Yes, it is every parent's personal decision. However, I do think my son's GP, whom we only see every couple of years--and is more open minded than most--thought I was fairly paranoid about the vaccines. He didn't push it though, and even commented that there were ways around it for school. At least our DAN doctor didn't retire after all and will write me a note without batting an eye for 'no shots' should I need it. I don't know if tetanus is required anyway, but if it is, we still have 2 years to go.

 

Claire

[Cum Passus]

Claire,

 

Yes thats what I ment, good news for this mom too (me) I worried I messed him up forever giving him those shots. I hope other parents find that info a relief to know my husband wasn't effected by his shots forever.

 

C.P.

[julia24]

At least our DAN doctor didn't retire after all and will write me a note without batting an eye for 'no shots' should I need it. I don't know if tetanus is required anyway, but if it is, we still have 2 years to go.

 

Claire

 

I don't know what state you live in, but there are three main exemptions you can take, and which ones are offered vary from state to state. There's religious, medical, & philosophical.

 

If you're fortunate enough to have the most rare, philosophical exemption, in your state, all you have to do is sign the form yourself. Some states, I believe, let you sign the religious form yourself, too.

 

Here's a link that lists the exemptions by state:

 

http://www.vaclib.org/exemption.htm

 

-Julie

[Claire]

Julie,

Thanks ...Yippee, we are in the lucky philosophy category! I never had a clue that even existed.

 

Kim,

Can you please put my mind at ease (or give me fair notice...I want honesty most) that the TB test I let him give my son wasn't the same risk as the vaccines? He hasn't seemed to have any reaction after 2 days.

 

 

Claire

[kim]

Claire,

 

I honestly have heard NO talk of that test.

 

I quickly searched the motheringdotcommune website and came up with a thread where they were discussing this test for pregnant moms.

 

Since MT posted on that thread, and didn't raise any huge red flags, I'm assuming it isn't anything to be concerned about. You can read it here. http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showt...nger+of+TB+test

 

My first thought was, that any antigen in a sensitive person could flair a symptom. Then I got thinking about the allergist doing a scratch test, then the individual injections on the boys, and I don't remember any bad reations, although I don't think I really knew enough to look for it, even that far into things. Seems like there would be a lot going on with histime during that type of testing.

 

I got a copy of the insert. I think it was 6 pages. I didn't have time to read it.

http://www.vaccineshoppe.com/US_PDF/752-21_4611.pdf

 

Since this test is looking for a reaction to a present antigen (?), and not trying to stimulate an immune response, I'm assuming that there would not be an adjuvant in it (aluminum etc.)

 

I really think you're fine, but if your still concerned, you can always google/search it, and see what you can find.

 

Kim

[kim]

Claire I just had to add this

 

Menactra was licensed in January 2005, not 4 years ago, as your Dr. stated.

 

It's a new vax. and the warnings have just recently been issued by the CDC about the relationship to GB.

 

Menomune was the older one. I know that one has been around for longer than 4 yrs. I'm going to try to find it.

 

How do they get away with so many statements that are just WRONG?

 

The new Dr. I'm taking the boys to, said that you should never boil water to make infant formula. She said it would take all of the flouride out! Well, I would WANT IT OUT, but unfortunatley, it WILL NOT remove it, but concentrate it.

 

I wonder if wearing a white coat to work, will make people believe everything I say. I could probably make enough money this year for all of the testing I'd like

[samsmom]

Just wanted to add my two cents here. Sam has had a couple of immunizations in the last 18 months. One was for chickenpox, when he was about 4 1/2 years old. His TS symptoms first started about a week before he had this shot (we only know this because we can see signs of his TS in a video of his preschool play which took place a week before) so we really can't blame that shot in any way for the onset of symptoms. But they did become considerably worse a couple of weeks after.

 

He had an MMR shot on December 20 last year, 6 months after his TS started, and he became much worse a week after that. Knowing what I know now, I would never have had it done I didn't get his DTaP (Dipth, Tet and Pert.) done at the same time, nor his polio booster. And I have no plans to get them done after the MMR experience. He was pretty bad for about 3-4 months after that.

 

We live in Washington state and all the school needed was a form signed by me stating that I had personal reasons for not giving him the shots. The school's only requirement is that we keep him away from school if there is an outbreak of one of the illnesses for which he has not been fully immunized. Sounds fair to me!

[Chemar]

Claire, I have given some of my thoughts on vaccines and my son's health on the Flu Shots thread

 

http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=1903

 

as I said there..........if I knew then what I know now...........