My body doesn't seem to remember vaccines??
July 25, 2021 2:50 AM Subscribe
I'm suspicious that my body doesn't remember vaccines as expected. Info?
This is incredibly hard to Google so asking here.
Background: I had chicken pox as a child, tested negative for titers in my mid 20's was vaccinated then tested negative for titers at 30 and was vaccinated again. This is also true for MMR where I've had the vaccine as normal as a kid growing up and it multiple times as an adult, and my hep B series I recieved as a teen I've been told I should have redone (but I didn't bother). The nurse for my employee health titer and vaccine screening made a comment that there are some people who are just like that and there's a notation in my file about it.
I want more information on people who are just like that. I'm not immunocompromised.
I do have concerns about Covid vaccine, although I know it hasn't been around long enough to have particular literature about that and we are at a point where no one can recieve a booster, so info about that is not expected. General into about vaccines and this is just fine.
This is incredibly hard to Google so asking here.
Background: I had chicken pox as a child, tested negative for titers in my mid 20's was vaccinated then tested negative for titers at 30 and was vaccinated again. This is also true for MMR where I've had the vaccine as normal as a kid growing up and it multiple times as an adult, and my hep B series I recieved as a teen I've been told I should have redone (but I didn't bother). The nurse for my employee health titer and vaccine screening made a comment that there are some people who are just like that and there's a notation in my file about it.
I want more information on people who are just like that. I'm not immunocompromised.
I do have concerns about Covid vaccine, although I know it hasn't been around long enough to have particular literature about that and we are at a point where no one can recieve a booster, so info about that is not expected. General into about vaccines and this is just fine.
On the specific topic of Covid, I've seen some of the literature, and the picture is complicated. Immunosuppressed patients do not show a B-Cell antibody response. However, neither are they showing as hospitalized in any great numbers. The most likely reason is a good T-cell response to the vaccine.
So, in general, the Covid experience tells us that 1) the test for antibodies must be matched to the type of vaccine, and 2) the immune response is complex with multiple avenues of action.
posted by SemiSalt at 6:12 AM on July 25, 2021 [6 favorites]
So, in general, the Covid experience tells us that 1) the test for antibodies must be matched to the type of vaccine, and 2) the immune response is complex with multiple avenues of action.
posted by SemiSalt at 6:12 AM on July 25, 2021 [6 favorites]
I don't know, but my ex-husband has had the same experience with at least one immunization, only discovered because he was donating plasma many years ago and those particular antibodies earned extra. They offered him the immunization on-site, and it still didn't "stick".
I've been curious ever since if it might be hereditary... that would be useful for our children to know. But he never investigated further, so far as I know, and I'd forgotten about it until now.
posted by stormyteal at 7:23 AM on July 25, 2021
I've been curious ever since if it might be hereditary... that would be useful for our children to know. But he never investigated further, so far as I know, and I'd forgotten about it until now.
posted by stormyteal at 7:23 AM on July 25, 2021
A good friend of mine has the same problem. Her body doesn't stay vaccinated. No solution that I've heard of.
posted by Enid Lareg at 8:33 AM on July 25, 2021
posted by Enid Lareg at 8:33 AM on July 25, 2021
Unlike you, I’m immunocompromised. Just as a data point though, I’ve been tested five times for antibodies since being vaccinated (I’m in a study). The first two times I showed antibodies, and the next three I did not. My doctor says he’s scratching his head.
What they are telling us (blood cancer patients) is that nobody really knows what these antibody tests mean in terms of immunity. A hemopathologist I know told me it’s possible I’m showing some antibodies, but don’t meet the threshold for positivity for this particular test.
posted by FencingGal at 8:43 AM on July 25, 2021 [2 favorites]
What they are telling us (blood cancer patients) is that nobody really knows what these antibody tests mean in terms of immunity. A hemopathologist I know told me it’s possible I’m showing some antibodies, but don’t meet the threshold for positivity for this particular test.
posted by FencingGal at 8:43 AM on July 25, 2021 [2 favorites]
Did you have measles as an adult? I believe there are a few illnesses which "reset" your immune system and essentially erase antibody memory.
posted by todolos at 8:57 AM on July 25, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by todolos at 8:57 AM on July 25, 2021 [3 favorites]
It might be interesting to know if there are vaccinations that have stuck around for you. I'm pretty sure that at least some parts of MMR fade for most people and that the US maintains herd immunity well enough that we just don't worry about it. But it sounds like you've had MMR wear off multiple times as an adult, so that's much more extreme than most people experience.
posted by hoyland at 10:30 AM on July 25, 2021
posted by hoyland at 10:30 AM on July 25, 2021
Response by poster: Pretty much any vaccine I've been tested for I've needed redone at some point . I don't think people are testing me for say polio vaccine antibodies and I've certainly never tried to pay on my own. Proof of vaccination is generally what people are looking for, and the titers that have been run recently are more about potential job exposure than trying to sort my actual response to vaccines in general. So my information is not great as I've just been in situations where people have run them, reported that I'm not showing immunity to various things and given me doses again.
I know I have some immune responses to vaccines, I generally run mild fevers and such regardless of vaccine type. I don't have any of the usual risk factors mentioned in the paper for people that don't amount good responses to vaccines. But it seems there is just a small percentage of people this happens to, and there's little knowledge about it.
I have not had measles.
Anyway, regardless I take vaccines when they are offered and hope for the best otherwise. Thanks!
posted by AlexiaSky at 11:44 AM on July 25, 2021 [1 favorite]
I know I have some immune responses to vaccines, I generally run mild fevers and such regardless of vaccine type. I don't have any of the usual risk factors mentioned in the paper for people that don't amount good responses to vaccines. But it seems there is just a small percentage of people this happens to, and there's little knowledge about it.
I have not had measles.
Anyway, regardless I take vaccines when they are offered and hope for the best otherwise. Thanks!
posted by AlexiaSky at 11:44 AM on July 25, 2021 [1 favorite]
I have the same issue with the chicken pox vaccine, as do my siblings. We've never had chicken pox, despite being exposed multiple times, and have all received the vaccine many times (I'm on my third). When tested we never show as having antibodies to chicken pox. Nobody seems to know why.
posted by Stoof at 10:19 AM on July 26, 2021
posted by Stoof at 10:19 AM on July 26, 2021
This thread is closed to new comments.
I googled seroconversion failure which brought this up and some other relevant pages.
posted by Ballad of Peckham Rye at 3:18 AM on July 25, 2021 [1 favorite]