What are these amazing 67 vaccines?
June 30, 2015 8:44 PM Subscribe
I was chatting with someone who was anti-vaccine the other day in relation to the new California law, and she was telling me that there were now 67 vaccines that children had to take. I think she was trying to scare me, but actually I thought that sounded amazing! What are these 67 vaccines - and how can I get them for me and mine?
Looking at the CDC website, the most I could find were 27 vaccine preventable diseases - and some of the vaccines were no longer available like Lyme Disease. Also many of them get grouped together, so it's 27 diseases, but fewer actual vaccines - and then there are some you probably wouldn't ever get unless you were traveling to high risk areas or working for the CDC, like anthrax or yellow fever.
So, what are these 67 vaccines this woman was talking about? I know that some vaccines you need several boosters for, so maybe she meant over your lifetime you could have 67 booster shots? Has anyone else heard of this magic 67 number? Are we talking total garbage information here?
Looking at the CDC website, the most I could find were 27 vaccine preventable diseases - and some of the vaccines were no longer available like Lyme Disease. Also many of them get grouped together, so it's 27 diseases, but fewer actual vaccines - and then there are some you probably wouldn't ever get unless you were traveling to high risk areas or working for the CDC, like anthrax or yellow fever.
So, what are these 67 vaccines this woman was talking about? I know that some vaccines you need several boosters for, so maybe she meant over your lifetime you could have 67 booster shots? Has anyone else heard of this magic 67 number? Are we talking total garbage information here?
Response by poster: Looks like it's doses. Bummer, I really wanted to be immune to everything. Thanks! (Also looks like the number wasn't right - 69, not 67)
posted by Toddles at 9:11 PM on June 30, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Toddles at 9:11 PM on June 30, 2015 [2 favorites]
I wonder if she meant 67 separate shots? Counting up the total number of doses on the CDC immunisation schedules for children up to 18 years (linked from the California Dept of Public Health) leads me to a maximum count of 58, but maybe there are more. I haven't read the footnotes to know if they are all recommended for all children. (I suspect not). But the subtext seems to be the assumption that 67 (or on preview 69 as per teremala's link is some enormous number. I would contend it is not - an 18 year old is 216 months old, so it's less than 1 shot every 3 months on average.
DID YOU KNOW THAT BY AGE 18 CHILDREN MAY HAVE OUTGROWN 69 PAIRS OF TROUSERS? OMG! etc.
As for the apparently damning statistics that the number of doses has increased - children today are protected from a bunch of things that I could have been exposed to, like Rubella (which my sister may have had), Chickenpox (which I definitely had), HPV, and meningococcal disease. I can't say that I will be sad for my notional future children not to have this kind of risk and suffering.
posted by Cheese Monster at 9:26 PM on June 30, 2015 [5 favorites]
DID YOU KNOW THAT BY AGE 18 CHILDREN MAY HAVE OUTGROWN 69 PAIRS OF TROUSERS? OMG! etc.
As for the apparently damning statistics that the number of doses has increased - children today are protected from a bunch of things that I could have been exposed to, like Rubella (which my sister may have had), Chickenpox (which I definitely had), HPV, and meningococcal disease. I can't say that I will be sad for my notional future children not to have this kind of risk and suffering.
posted by Cheese Monster at 9:26 PM on June 30, 2015 [5 favorites]
They're definitely counting doses and if I know this type they're also including annual flu shots in their count to pump up those numbers.
posted by town of cats at 9:44 PM on June 30, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by town of cats at 9:44 PM on June 30, 2015 [3 favorites]
I count 28 different vaccinations. Most need follow-up shots if
*they* are going to use these as multipliers you will get to that number.
posted by Mac-Expert at 10:32 PM on June 30, 2015
*they* are going to use these as multipliers you will get to that number.
posted by Mac-Expert at 10:32 PM on June 30, 2015
When you are counting doses, keep in mind that diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis are combined in one shot. That alone accounts for 18 of the doses. Likewise measles, mumps and rubella are combined in one shot and account for 6 of the doses. That's about a third of the doses right there.
posted by JackFlash at 10:40 PM on June 30, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by JackFlash at 10:40 PM on June 30, 2015 [5 favorites]
Best answer: I'm kiiiiiind of mad that the kids today don't have to get chicken pox like I did, it was horrible, but I'm 100% on your team re: vaccines. You should definitely be able to get a pneumonia vaccine, which I just found out exists and is available at Walgreens. And if you haven't gotten the HPV vaccine and you're eligible, definitely get that one.
One of my dear friends managed to get the smallpox vaccine (she was working in a lab that carried the vaccine) and I was jealous.
posted by you're a kitty! at 11:08 PM on June 30, 2015 [3 favorites]
One of my dear friends managed to get the smallpox vaccine (she was working in a lab that carried the vaccine) and I was jealous.
posted by you're a kitty! at 11:08 PM on June 30, 2015 [3 favorites]
OH ALSO WHOOPING COUGH i had actual whooping cough and you for sure don't want it.
posted by you're a kitty! at 11:09 PM on June 30, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by you're a kitty! at 11:09 PM on June 30, 2015 [4 favorites]
You may need to go through your doctor for pneumonia. I got it a few years back and they were for some reason limiting to the elderly and immuno compromised -- I was asked for a doctors note.
posted by tilde at 3:55 AM on July 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by tilde at 3:55 AM on July 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you want more vaccines you should travel more. Then you can get things like yellow fever and typhus (err, travel vaccinations for, not the diseases themselves).
posted by chainsofreedom at 4:54 AM on July 1, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by chainsofreedom at 4:54 AM on July 1, 2015 [3 favorites]
Make sure your whooping cough is up to date (Tdap for adults, usually) -- immunity wears off over time, and pertussis now becomes regionally epidemic many winters in the United States, partly because of non-vaxxers, partly because of people not getting boosters. They now recommend all parents and everyone who has contact with infants, even pretty rarely, get their pertussis booster. Since tetanus comes packaged with it, you have the bonus of next time you're in the ER for stepping on a rake barefoot and they say, "When was your last tetanus booster?" YOU WILL KNOW. Plus when your overprotective first-time parent friends ask if you are up to date on pertussis, you will be!
In the US, you should be able to get it from your GP, your county health department, or a pharmacy that does shots and boosters (like Walgreens or CVS or Target or Costco -- check on the web if they stock it all year or only in-season). Because it's a preventative booster, it's free; thanks Obama!
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:43 AM on July 1, 2015 [4 favorites]
In the US, you should be able to get it from your GP, your county health department, or a pharmacy that does shots and boosters (like Walgreens or CVS or Target or Costco -- check on the web if they stock it all year or only in-season). Because it's a preventative booster, it's free; thanks Obama!
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:43 AM on July 1, 2015 [4 favorites]
Yes I second getting the whooping cough one if you can. Whooping cough sucks, I coughed for 3-4 months and infected the whole office before I thought hmmm this doesnt' seem to be a normal allergy cough I should go to the doctor. I couldn't see my nephew who was just a baby after the diagnosis :( Get the polio one again too even if you had it as a kid they found out that had worn out (for want of the correct term) on me, though do they even do polio vaccine any more?
posted by wwax at 8:46 AM on July 1, 2015
posted by wwax at 8:46 AM on July 1, 2015
You can also get vaccinated for rabies. I got that one when I was in the Peace Corps. Can't say I would recommend that one, though - its bright purple and hurts like the bejeezus, plus you'll still need the post-exposure shots if you are bitten, just not so many.
posted by i less than three nsima at 1:07 PM on July 1, 2015
posted by i less than three nsima at 1:07 PM on July 1, 2015
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