Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with vaccine

So how bad is the swine flu??

gttommy — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 05:13:34 -0800

How blown-up out-of-proportion is the swine flu scare relative to other life-threatening infections/diseases? Is it alarming enough that I need a swine flu shot if I'm going to SE Asia in DEC09/JAN10? Time is running out, and I am confused as to whether I should get a shot before leaving for a 3 week trek in SE Asia through a handful of countries.

From what I have been reading, vaccinations are the ultra-safe path for short-term protection and definitely should be taken during a crisis (e.g. epidemic). On the other hand, if it is not a crisis it would overall not be beneficial for someone my age (26), as I am likely to recover from a swine flu infection... and something to do with antibodies, mutating-dormant-virus and the overall corruption of my immune system. My microbiology-graduate friend confirms the negative effects of inoculations are part of the process, but also says if its a 'crisis' it should be taken.

So how bad is the swine flu??

Thanks!

Do vaccines bring you closer to death?

foulowl — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:16:09 -0800

Is there a set quota of white blood cells that the human body produces over its lifetime, and if so do routine vaccines (e.g. the flu) tax the immune system enough to significantly shorten the person's lifespan? A while ago I found out that my room mate is, as he put it, "waaaaaaay anti-vaccine." I chalked it up to his occasional wool-headedness and benign (if frustrated) lack of critical thinking, but today he mentioned that he wanted to finish his undergraduate degree in biology sometime in the next couple years.

After dinner I couldn't help myself and asked him, politely, how he squared his science ambitions with his vaccine beliefs. He explained that the human body only creates a limited amount of white blood cells during its lifetime, and vaccines cause the immune system to unnecessarily spend its set quota on a single pathogen (namely, the one being vaccinated against) and thus "make you die quicker."

I kind of nodded and said something like, "Well, at least it's a scientific reason," but that really does not seem right to me. If the human body has a set quota of white blood cells that's honestly so limited that a healthy person is actually at risk of having their life significantly truncated due to routine vaccinations wouldn't medical practitioners screen patients much more thoroughly to prevent unnecessary damage? Plus, isn't one of the reasons to get a vaccine not just for your own health as an individual but the health of everyone around you?

Add in the hypocrisy factors of a) room mate smokes, b) had a serious case of bronchitis in the last six months that c) nearly developed into pneumonia and I am smelling some concentrated bullshit here. (I feel like his immune system wasted more white blood cells fighting off a contracted case of preventable bronchial infection than it would have during a few years of flu vaccines.) Am I right? Is he right?

Does anyone with a background in biology/immunology/medicine have a definitive answer?

Pandemic flu tourist vaccination

rom1 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:58:06 -0800

Which European countries currently provide or are planning to provide flu shots (H1N1 strain) openly, without invitation letters or national health insurance? I live in Poland and here, the authorities have not bought *any* vaccine. I am willing to pay for the vaccination.

One fever is more than enough fevers for us

tmcw — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:09:57 -0800

Indian health concerns: typhoid fever and dengue fever. Yes, you are not my doc. So, the short of it is: I am heading to new Delhi late tomorrow. My girlfriend, who I'm visiting, got dengue fever three days ago. She's feeling a bit better, but, obviously, better relative to the f'ing dengue fever.

Problem #2 I took three of the four pills (live vaccine) for typhoid fever, and was going to take the last tomorrow, on the schedule. And realized ten minutes ago, on this cross-coast bus, that I had left that little box in my office.

So:

dengue is spread by 'blood products' while she's still feverish. What does this mean in kissy terms.

Next: how screwed am I with my 75% vaccination against a quite serious illness? And can I grab another dose in a cvs tomorrow? Cost would obviously be thought of relative to hospital stay / death (jk, I'll never die)

Finally, any departing words of advice for a first-time Indian visiting his so abroad?

Am I sick because I'm healthy?

Mountain Goatse — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:52:44 -0800

Flu vaccine and immunology questions, I have a few. Me: late 30's male, relatively fit and healthy.

Last month I got the FluMist, and my kids got the first of two flu shots. This is for regular flu, not H1N1. The next couple of days I was pretty congested in the head and was sneezing quite a bit. Kids were fine. My symptoms were confined to my head and went away quickly, unlike when I have a regular cold (usually spreads to my throat and lungs).

first questions: Is my body's response to the FluMist indicative of a strong immune system, a weak immune system, or neither? Does such a response to a vaccine correlate to future immunity?

Earlier this week, my kids got the flu shot booster (again, not H1N1). The next couple of days they had runny noses and were slightly irritable. A couple of days after that, I am again experiencing the same sort of head-cold-like symptoms.

second questions: Could my current symptoms be related to the vaccine response my kids experienced? Is it possible to "catch" the flu vaccine from someone else, especially germy sneezy kids? Shouldn't I have already built up immunity?

Hey, pig piggy pig pig pig...

spinifex23 — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:13:36 -0800

So, I had probable Swine Flu (H1N1) - do I still need the vaccine? If so, when should I get it? I'm a 40 year old non pregnant woman with high risk issues (namely asthma and neuromuscular illness.), so I'm one of the prime candidates for the Swine Flu shot. However, it just became available in my area (Seattle), and before I could get it, I came down with probable Swine Flu.

I say 'probable' because I didn't get tested; I was able to handle the entire stretch of the illness with NyQuil, chicken soup, and herbal tea with honey. I didn't even see my doctor for this, nor go to the hospital. However, when I called my doctor's office for advice on treating this, they said that chances are that, listening to my symptoms, I had the Flu, and that it was probably H1N1 to boot, because that's over 95% of the flu cases going around. I'm all better now, and I didn't (thank God) have complications.

So, should I get my H1N1 vaccine? If so, should I get it now with the high risk groups, or wait until it's available to everybody? I already got my seasonal flu shot in October. I'd like to get vaccinated for H1N1 in case that's not what I had, but I also don't want to deprive someone else of badly needed vaccine.

Are there different flu vaccines for Chinese people and roundeyes?

Wet Spot — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:17:48 -0800

Asking for my sister-in-law: is the swine flu vaccine formulation given to people in China (Shanghai) the same as the US version? My sister-in-law's daughter, three years old, is returning to the US (from China) next month. She recently went through a bout of pneumonia and spent a few days in a hospital, although she did not test positive for the flu. Should she get a flu shot in Shanghai, the US (Minneapolis), or perhaps both? If she gets the vaccine in Shanghai, will it protect her against whatever roundeye version of the virus is prevalent in the US?

Infant: H1N1 flu vaccine now or wait for preservative-free version

NortonDC — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:15:16 -0800

Is it worth delaying H1N1 swine flu vaccination for an 8-month-old infant to get the preservative-free version? As for me, shoot me up, whatever, go nuts. But I wonder about the wee one and the higher concentration of thimerosal she would get due to her tiny mass and two shots to my one. Is it worth delaying until we can be sure we're getting the preservative free version? What are the facts and numbers driving the answer?

I understand there's no established link for autism. I get that. But mercury is still best avoided when feasible, so does the current pandemic change the definition of "feasible"?

NaturalNews-type scaremongering will be disregarded, so don't bother with that. Thanks.

How do I ameliorate my reaction to vaccines?

adipocere — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:58:45 -0800

How do I ameliorate my reaction to vaccines? Since childhood, I've had an immune response which might be charitably described as vigorous — once my body picks up on something, I can count on ridiculous fevers, fourteen hour "naps" and such, all of which I recover from as swifly as they come on, but when I'm out, I'm out. Unfortunately, this holds for vaccines as well. The first DPT shot I can remember ended up with my parents having to cut my shirt sleeve in half, as my arm swelled up to a painful and almost comical size. A recent tetanus shot produced a great deal of swelling, though not as much. Other vaccines are also troublesome. Some give me some mild localized swelling. For a flu vaccine, I can always count on an elevated temperature on the thermometer, deep aches, and weariness for a day or two. Because the shots come in the middle of the work week, I'm usually not functioning well for the rest of it.

Could I manage to lightly depress my immune function beforehand? "Pre-treat" a fever?

While I know that vaccines are overwhelmingly a Good Thing, and that the point of a vaccine is to provoke response and learning by your immune system, I'd rather it not be quite so extreme, as I can basically count on losing a workday, if not two, every time I get one. Yes, I know — "Well, would you rather be sick for two weeks?" — obviously not, which is why I am getting the shot, but I'd rather not be unhappy for a few days, either, and I'd like to avoid it if possible.

H1N1 vaccinations in the SF Bay Area

gnutron — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:19:59 -0800

Do you know where my wife and I can get H1N1 vaccinations in the SF Bay Area BEFORE October 31st? Preferably in the East Bay. We have a 3 month old baby at home, so we will definitely be getting vaccinated. For reasons that don't need to be discussed here, we'd like to get vaccinated before November starts.

I've called Walgreens and our doctor's office and they don't expect to receive the vaccine for another 2 weeks at least. Do you know anywhere that's giving H1N1 vaccines to the public now?

No soup for you!

FunkyHelix — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:48:19 -0800

I have a question about childrens' flu vaccines and insurance. I have two kids, one I gave birth to and one I have shared custody with his mother. My birth son is under my husband's insurance. My other one is under the NJ Family Care provided for kids without medical insurance (my husband's insurance refuses to cover him because it's shared custody and his mother has no insurance herself.)

This weekend my husband took the boys to the pediatrician for required school vaccines, one of which was the standard flu vaccine. My birth son's appointment was first and my husband was told there was no available flu vaccines. He said okay and went to reschedule the older one's appointment since he needed that too.

But the doctor said no that there was a flu vaccine for him because he was NJ Family Care. That she wasn't giving the vaccine to kids with insurance, just the ones on state insurance.

Can she do that? Is it legal to do that?

Best place to get H1N1 (Swine Flu) vaccination?

NotSoSimple — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:12:59 -0800

Best place to get H1N1 (Swine Flu) vaccination? Wife is pregnant with our first, and is due in December. OB strongly recommended I get vaccinated with both (Flu and H1N1), even though I am very healthy and have a very strong immune system. I am at risk because 1) I will be living with a newborn soon 2) I am under 25.

I do not have a PCP, so unsure of where I can find both.

Bonus: Anyone know the approximate cost of H1N1 when it is available? Rumor has it mid-October is the availability.

"poking" around for vaccination information

burhan — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:52:29 -0800

Where can I find non-biased information relating to the safety of vaccinations for children? Divorced. Sole custody and authority over children, but must consult/discuss with exwife on medical issues.

Recently, my 8 yr old was bit by a pet store hamster. In calling the community nurse I was told that she would need a tetanus shot - or rather that it was "Absolutely recommended".

I informed exwife of the situation. Exwife is adamant on no vaccinations ever, with the exception of this tetanus shot.

However, my 8 yr old is asking to be be brought up to date with all of her vaccines.

I have my children do research on things and present me pros/cons which we discuss over dinner. This works with the older kids, but my 8 yr old is too young to make a decision on this.

I have cited the problems with Wakefields immunization=autism paper/combo-vs-individual vaccination articles, articles from the WHO, the US CDC and Health Canada (we are in Canada) to exwife. I haven't gotten a response from her yet, but really need to be educated to the facts instead of the hype.

What I'm looking for is non-agenda based, objective information on the pros and cons of childhood vaccinations.

My bias is to immunize - the risks of not doing so are less than the risks of doing so, however, I want to enter into this decision with more than just a layman's knowledge gained from propaganda websites.

Does anyone have references to help?

I am just tired of googling and finding biased articles.

Either really lucky or really healthy

EmpressCallipygos — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:34:42 -0800

I've never had a flu vaccine. But -- I've also never had the flu, either. Am I safe continuing to skip the vaccine for a while longer? No, mean it -- I have never, ever had the flu. Not once. For a while I thought I may have, because I have had very quick "a little achy and queasy for about a day" kinds of things now and then, but when I've told people that they just laugh and say "oh, honey, that was NOT the flu, trust me."

I also haven't ever gotten flu vaccinations, because I am a big chicken when it comes to needles. So I've always crossed my fingers and went without -- and never had the flu.

So either I have the immunity of The Very Gods or I've been very, very lucky. But I'm wondering just how much I can tempt fate. What's making me also reconsider is a) the swine flu, and b) the fact that I now have a year-old niece. But I see her very infrequently (she's 3 states away and I don't have a car, so I only have seen her on major holidays).

That said: all things being equal, I know I should get it. But again -- big chicken when it comes to needles. Am I safe skipping it again this year?

Is the H1N1 vaccine inherently more dangerous?

exhilaration — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 17:40:12 -0800

Swine flu vaccine question: If I've gotten the seasonal flu vaccine in the past without any complications, does this mean that I don't have to worry about the "Guillain-Barre syndrome" that hit people in 1976? Or will the H1N1 vaccine be formulated differently that the seasonal flu vaccine? This question is prompted by this article... It's still not clear why a rare but serious neurological disorder called Guillain-Barre syndrome hit those vaccinated in 1976 at a higher-than-expected rate. But after some 44 million Americans received the vaccine, safety fears scuttled the vaccination program -- and gave "swine flu vaccine" a bad name that still lingers in the American psyche.

Were there any studies done after 1976 to see if the handful of people who got that disorder had previously gotten the seasonal flu vaccine?

Gardasil off-label for men in SF

Anonymous — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:44:17 -0800

Who in San Francisco will prescribe Gardasil off-label to men? I figure there's probably a couple doctors around here doing it. Maybe someone practicing in the gay community? I'm a 29-year-old straight male. I want to be vaccinated against HPV because:
1) I care about your cervix, baby.
2) I don't want warts on my dick.
3) Thumb my nose at Jenny McCarthy?

According to most sources, 29 is pretty old to get the HPV vaccine. But I think that's because most 29-year-olds are already saturated with a hundred different strains of HPV. But the first time I had sex was a month ago. So I figure I have a sexual history similar to the target demographic.

I realize I'll have to pay around $400 for the vaccine. That's fine. I'm going to ask the doctor to sign some insurance paperwork anyway. I want to try and make my health insurance pay for it. I see it as a low-stakes test drive of the HMO bureaucracy. It'll be valuable experience if I ever need to fight them over something important.

I'm particularly looking for names of doctors or clinics that are known to prescribe to men. I can poll the usual places myself if no one here has a more specific recommendation.

Why does smallpox vaccine need to be given via the percutaneous route?

feathermeat — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 08:45:33 -0800

Why does smallpox vaccine need to be given via the percutaneous route?

Is it possible to separate out MMR?

mattbucher — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 10:42:05 -0800

Measles, Mumps, and Rubella: is it possible to get these vaccines in three separate shots instead of one (MMR)? It was my understanding that this was possible at some point, but that now Merck has stopped manufacturing the vaccines separately. My pediatrician recommend one pharmacy (Hopewell) in NJ that might be able to get them, but they have told me to directly to Merck. I have prescriptions for each separate vaccine and I do want my child to be immunized, but the combined MMR vaccine seems like the only option at this point. Does anyone know where I can find the separate vaccines (in the US)? Have you (or someone you know) had any luck in doing this?

Can a vaccine make my cat into a temporary loner?

grabbingsand — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:46:35 -0800

CatFilter. Can a distemper shot make a cat ... well ... standoffish? Our two cats had their annual vet visit yesterday morning. They hate to go, but it's only once a year and they forgive us quickly enough. They both got their vaccinations as per normal (rabies, FLV and distemper). They've been their typical, odd little selves since then.

Until this evening, that is. One of our cats, the girl of the pair, has been acting very hide-y since early this evening. When we were downstairs, she hid under the ottoman. Upstairs in our office, she has parked under my wife's desk. When we pick her up to take her elsewhere, she darts right back under the desk. Basically, she seems to be in a really bad mood, wanting to be left alone like Greta Garbo.

This is very much not like her. So ... to repeat ... can a distemper shot make a cat standoffish? If so, can the reaction be delayed almost 36 hours or so?

Our dog just had an anaphylactic shock reaction to vaccination. Should we cancel our travel plans?

Jacqueline — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:19:44 -0800

Our dog just had an anaphylactic shock reaction to vaccination. Should we cancel our travel plans? My husband took our miniature dachshunds to the vet today to get caught up on their vaccinations because we're going to be boarding them while we travel later this week. One of them immediately vomited after the vaccination, had diarrhea on the way home, then once home he collapsed on the floor and was breathing very rapidly. My husband immediately took him back to the vet where they gave him an anti-histamine and steroids shot. The vet is currently keeping him for observation.

The vet's decision to allow our dog go home when he was showing early symptoms of potentially deadly anaphylactic shock makes me not trust this vet's competence, so I'm seeking other sources of information about our dog's condition and care needed.

My internet searching has found information on symptoms (apparently the next stages after vomiting and diarrhea would have been convulsions, coma, and death!) and emergency treatment, but not much on after-care. How sick can we expect our dog to be after this, and for how long? Will he be sick enough that someone should stay home and take care of him?

Our original plans were to board the dogs from Wednesday evening or Thursday morning until Monday morning. If we should change our travel and/or dog boarding plans we'd prefer to do so ASAP because the longer we wait the more expensive it will be to make changes.

Any information, advice, or pointers to good resources would be appreciated.

Please, I don't want to be a Typhoid Mary!

aetg — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 20:13:13 -0800

Will I get typhoid? I purchased the oral typhoid vaccine (vivotif) at the pharmacy last week and have taken two pills so far on schedule.

My pharmacist said to take it on an "empty stomach" and when pressed clarified that to mean at least two hours before eating or two hours after eating. This whole not eating thing seemed rather important so I've been taking the vaccine in the middle of the night by setting my alarm. However, now I find that it is recommended to take the vaccine one hour before one eats or two hours after, which is rather different. I've been not eating for up to 8 hours before and after these pills.

Obviously I am going to call the pharmacist to clarify, if not the doctor, but I want to know if I should expect the pharmacist to replace these pills since the directions given are not actually how I should take the pill.

If I can't get the pills replaced I will probably just get the shot because of a completely different problem : my power went out yesterday and my pills were in the fridge. Any idea how hot a fridge gets in two hours if the door stays shut? I just noticed it was hot enough to curdle some milk.

I can't remember ANYTHING before my coffee...

letitrain — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 09:23:30 -0800

I messed up the schedule for my oral typhoid vaccine (Vivotif). I've taken two out of four pills. Should I continue or start over? I'm supposed to take them every two days, in the morning, an hour before eating a meal. I took one on Tuesday morning, forgot yesterday morning, then remembered this morning and took the second pill after eating a light breakfast (fruit and tea).

If I take the other two Sunday and Tuesday morning as prescribed, will I be protected? Or should I scrap it and start over?

The travel clinic where I got them says I should start over, but they have made it clear that they are in it for the money... I've done several Google searches and come up with nothing. Thank you.

What to do about HPV-51 infection?

Anonymous — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 08:37:22 -0800

My ex has been diagnosed with HPV-51. She probably passed it to me. Cervarix and Gardasil do not protect against this strain. What should I do about my current relationship? My ex was tested positive for HPV using the Digene Hybrid Capture II HPV DNA test. She took this test after we broke up, and, according to her, before she engaged in sexual intercourse with any one else. She subsequently went for a HPV PCR test, and the results showed that she has HPV-51.

Because the ex-relationship I had with my ex was sexually active over a period of more than five years, and assuming she did not contract her current HPV infection from sleeping with anyone after we broke up and before she got the Digene test, I think it is almost certain that I contracted HPV-51 from her.

It has been a few months less than two years since I had any sexual contact with the ex in question. I am now in a relationship with someone else. This is a serious relationship, not a fling, and I treat relationships as things you enter into with a view to seeing if the two of you would be suitable for marriage. My current girlfriend has tested negative for HPV under the Digene HPV DNA test. Cervarix and Gardasil, the only two HPV vaccines commercially available (to my knowledge), do not protect against HPV-51.

Obviously I am hoping that my system either has or will soon clear the HPV-51 infection. But given the lack of any commercially available male HPV tests, it would be difficult to verify this. This is an avenue that I still hope to explore, however.

Assuming that I cannot find a way to tell whether I still have HPV-51 or not, what should I do? Should I end the relationship even though I love my girlfriend very much because I don't want to expose her to the risk of contracting HPV? Does this mean that I can't ever marry anyone else, unless they happen to have the same strain of HPV that I do?

As far as my girlfriend is concerned: she isn't sure what I should do either. Any advice would be much appreciated. If you have additional questions or wish to contact me directly, use hpv51question@gmail.com. Thanks in advance.

Does an effective feline herpes vaccine exist>

Izzy — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 16:44:20 -0800

Is there, or is there not, a feline herpes vaccine? One of our cats has herpes and he's now given it to another one of our cats. Before we bring a new kitten into the house (yes, we're cat people--so sue us!), we want to make sure that we don't pass on the virus to another cat. Our vet says that a vaccine for feline herpes does not exist, but I've read conflicting information on the Web.

Healthy bunny! Healthy me!

honeyx — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 21:52:00 -0800

Will I give my new bunny the flu? Sorry if this is basic science, but I just can't find anything through google...
Tomorrow I am bringing home a sweet little baby bunny to join the family! Yay! However, I have also been meaning for some time to get a flu shot, and I think I should do that this week as well. (I am young, but have a weak immune system, so its important that I get one.) I know that the inactive/dead vaccine is generally available and I will get that if possible, but my concern remains that I will get my new bunny sick.
Is this possible? Can influenza be transmitted from human to rabbit -- even if it is a "dead" vaccine?