Immunizations

[matis_mom]

My vet was telling me the other day that it is common to check the titers of pets to see if they need their vaccine. I thought it was interesting that checking titers on a dog was "acceptable" but not so much on a person.

Oh yes, we must be very careful with dogs... Did you know they give dogs only one shot at a time, so if there is an adverse reaction they can tell what the dog reacted to? Very smart, these vets are... I wonder why pediatricians haven't thought of this... I guess children are not as precious???

 

MAKES ME SO MAD!!!

[justinekno]

When we got our dog last year (as a puppy) I was very strict about her vaccines (there were so many for a puppy), it was SO stressful! My vet was great about spacing out the shots and our breeder guided me through alot of it but if it hadn't been for my son's experiences with vaccines, I wouldn't have been so concerned. It was like having another child! I just feel sad that I didn't learn the lesson the other way around

 

Oh yes, we must be very careful with dogs... Did you know they give dogs only one shot at a time, so if there is an adverse reaction they can tell what the dog reacted to? Very smart, these vets are... I wonder why pediatricians haven't thought of this... I guess children are not as precious???

 

MAKES ME SO MAD!!!

Edited July 3, 2010 by justinekno

[parents4eyes]

x

Edited July 17, 2010 by parents4eyes

[justinekno]

I think I read somewhere that if you can't prove you have had the tetanus in a certain period of time (is it 7 yrs?) and you get cut then the hospital will give you the vaccine anyway because it would take too long to check titers to see if you are still protected. Would it make sense to wait and do the vaccine only when you get cut or should you have it as a preventative? I can't remember the last time I had a tetanus shot.

 

My questions regarding tetanus... even if they had the vaccine they would need to get another shot anyway (if cut by something suspect). I doubt I ever give my kids another vaccine unless there is very, very good reason. If my daughter tests positive for mycoplasma, I will have a hard time forgiving myself.

Edited July 3, 2010 by justinekno

[NancyD]

Not necessarily true. When DD14 decided to pierce her lip right before being hospitalized (using a needle that was not sterile) it had been 10 years since her last Tdap vaccination. Her last tetanus titers was 1 year prior and that showed she was immune. Still, Children's Hospital Boston wanted to vaccinate her anyway. I told them they could check her titers again, which they did (and she was still immune), but they could NOT vaccinate her. They complied.

 

I think I read somewhere that if you can't prove you have had the tetanus in a certain period of time (is it 7 yrs?) and you get cut then the hospital will give you the vaccine anyway because it would take too long to check titers to see if you are still protected. Would it make sense to wait and do the vaccine only when you get cut or should you have it as a preventative? I can't remember the last time I had a tetanus shot.

 

My questions regarding tetanus... even if they had the vaccine they would need to get another shot anyway (if cut by something suspect). I doubt I ever give my kids another vaccine unless there is very, very good reason. If my daughter tests positive for mycoplasma, I will have a hard time forgiving myself.

[justinekno]

Good to know. Thanks. I wonder if that's just a standard line bc it's quicker to vaccinate than check titers.

 

Not necessarily true. When DD14 decided to pierce her lip right before being hospitalized (using a needle that was not sterile) it had been 10 years since her last Tdap vaccination. Her last tetanus titers was 1 year prior and that showed she was immune. Still, Children's Hospital Boston wanted to vaccinate her anyway. I told them they could check her titers again, which they did (and she was still immune), but they could NOT vaccinate her. They complied.

[mama2alex]

Not to side track, but has anyone seen that commercial on tv urging adults to be vaccinated for pertussis to protect babies?

 

This SIXTH combo of DtaP/ TDaP/DPT etc. is being recommended for exactly that reason Peg. Babies are still getting Pertussis. I suspect there have been many cases in older kids too, which were probably diagnosed as asthma. If the kid was fully immunized it couldn't be Pertussis right? I had a Dr. tell me this herself. She said she had to take swabs and prove to the CDC that it was Pertussis. How well has this vax ever worked? It wasn't dangerous (annoying yes) to the older children, but they didn't belong on a steroid for asthma either. It was pertussis.

 

 

Wanted to say thanks for posting this information Kim. A few weeks ago our neighbor was told her 11 year old had asthma when she started a cough that wouldn't go away. When the asthma meds had no effect, they changed the diagnosis to walking pneumonia. At that point we talked and I told her about your post, and suggested she just ask them to check. She did and that's what it was! Now another friend's daughter has a cough that won't go away, and I made the same suggestion because the girls were in the same soccer camp. She's waiting for the results. The swab is tough on the kids - they have to stick a q-tip way up their sinuses, which may be why they are reluctant to check for it. But neither girl had the tell-tale whoop sound to her cough. I suspect pertussis is WAY underdiagnosed!