Measles Outbreak
 

Apparently the CDC is preparing to see the biggest measle outbreak they have seen within the past 7 years. Additionally, may of the people that came down with in (including children) were not immunized.

This came as a surprise to me as I was under the impression you could not go to school without the immunization as well as enroll in college without documented proof that you had been immunized (happened to me when I took some college classes).

I was just curious as to how many of you have been immunized and has your state been effect by this outbreak?

Isn't it a law or something, that you have to immunize a child?? I remember when my son went to college, we had to scrounge and find the yellow card that listed all his immunization shots.

Am I to understand that many parents dont' immunize their kids anymore. I know that many believe it causes autism, but they don't use Thimerisol in the vaccine anymore, so why are parents still afraid.

I thought it's a requirement.

Melody, I did too. But apparently some are saying that it is for religious reasons that they don't immunize. But is it really worth losing your child to a disease? What would that feel like if you chose not to immunize and your child did die from it?

These are the 9 states the measles have been reported in: New York City, with 22 cases. Arizona has had 15, California, 12, and Michigan and Wisconsin have each had four. Hawaii, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Virginia and upstate New York also reported cases.

Additionally, many of these people picked up the virus from a foreign country (Switzerland and Isarel were named). However, many cases will start turning up as those who are not immunized may come in contact with the virus. I know that on one of the news stations they were listing hospitals that if you were there between such and such hours you may have come in contact with the virus.

I think this may well be just the beginning of new epidemics:(

I had measles as a child and came thru just fine (as did my brother)..... tho I know it can be a very serious and deadly illness.

Both my kids were fully vaccinated
but
I understand why so many parents have been opting out because of the vaccines being possibly implicated in autism and other neurological illnesses.

It's a hard issue for many as on the one hand there is the risk of horrid diseases but on the other the risk of other severe harm from the vaccines themselves:(

I cant find the link right now but there was a recent report that the FDA are taking this possible connection seriously and investigating..........

here is a recent article by David Kirby on the topic
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-...b_b_93627.html

and another by Robert Kennedy jnr
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics...adly_immunity/

I am real thankful my kids are grown now as I honestly dont know what I would do based on the extensive info I have gained on this subject over the past 8 years since my son's dx with Tourette

the dilemma will no doubt arise if I am blessed to be a grandma

very very hard!!

anyway, I just wanted to give the other perspective on this

Uh, this might be a stupid question, but, if a person was vaccinated as a kid and had the required boosters, and that person is now 60 years old, can that person get the measles?

I had German Measles when I was a kid. Wasn't that bad. I know it's different than regular measles which IS bad!!!!

Thanks to anyone who knows the answer.

Oh, one more thing. when Alan's IVIG nurse was here last week, Alan told her "I heard there has been an outbreak of measles in the Jewish Section of Brooklyn, and the nurse said: "There is ALWAYS a measles epidemic".

Very curious.

I had German Measles when I was young.

There is another measles, Red measles...or is that the same as German Measles.

So long ago, my kids were immunized so even if exposed, it would not matter


I think...

I think you may be thinking of the Morbilli virus, which you probably know as the red blotchy measles.



German Measles is otherwise known as Rubella.

They are two different varieties of measles.

In our state you dont have to just have religious reasons. You can be
a conscientious objector. My neighbor does not immunize her son as
she is one who does not believe in immunizations, because her son wont
get these diseases.:rolleyes: RIGHT, BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE PUTS
THEIR KIDS THRU NASTY SHOTS!!!!!!!!

Wow, I feel better now, thanks everyone.

So (and this was my original question).

Once you are immunized and you got the boosters, and you are 60, are you OKAY???

Thanks.

there is no way to know for sure.
 

Mel...you are my age....didn't you have measles/mumps and chickenpox when you were young? I sure did.

This "epidemic" is not huge. The vaccine failures for kids who are vaccinated range from 5-15%.

Basically it is these who get measles. Also viruses have "strains" and if this measles is a new strain, who knows?

There is great controversy about MMR vaccines. In Britain, there are very
militant parents there, who have videos of their children before the vaccine and right after the vaccine where the autism develops!

When I was pregnant, my doctor ran titres on my blood (I had 4 pages of blood work) showing immunity to rubella.

You can have titres run...to see if you are immune.

Also there is some thought that having the actual disease gives a "better" immunity than getting vaccines.

Also you need more information... the word "epidemic" can have various meanings that may be very different from each other.

I had German Measles, and Chickenpox when I was young.

I also got immunized (on my leg). I once asked my mother when I was 10 or so "what is this mark on my leg", and she said "Oh that's your immuniztion shot". I said 'they give it on the leg??" and she said "At that time that's what they did".

Then they came along with some kind of oral polio vaccine. (years later). I have no idea which vaccine i got for what because no one recorded this 60 years ago. And if they did, no one gave me a little yellow card like my son had.

Alan said to the nurse (during his infusion).

I have all these 20,000 antibodies in me, I can't catch anything" We all laughed.

Oh, his foot ulcer is only doing one drop a day, and even that is light. Nothing last night. I put bacitracin, put clean gauze, wrap it up, and he lays on the couch.

So if he walks for any length of time, the thing will bleed, if he stays off of his foot, the thing will not bleed.

I predict we shall go to the ortho next thursday as instructed, bringing the new pair of shoes. They will then adjust the oft loading part of it.

Then it will be another wait and see time.

I'm getting good at this stuff.

Melody

The mark/scar on your leg is probably when they immunized you for smallpox. I have one on my thigh. I believe I was five at the time and it hurt:( Otherwise, I had chicken pox, mumps, hard measles and german measles. They tested me when I was pregnant to see if I had indeed had german measles. I knew I had but they wanted to be certain.

My children were all vaccinated for measles, mumps, smallpox, etc. However, they had quit giving the smallpox vaccine just before my last child was born. I never liked that and I wished that they would have still been giving it. They all had chicken pox which the older one was sicker with it because the age was twelve, and the middle one not so sick cause the age was ten, and the young one not sick at all cause the age was six. I believe it's best to have chicken pox when you are young as it's not so bad and that proved true. And that's what the experts say.

Of course, if you have had chicken pox then you can get shingles sometime in your life. That isn't fun either. Now, of course, they have a vaccine for chicken pox as well which all their kids have had. I've read that that isn't 100% effective either and children have gotten chicken pox later. And their kids have been vaccinated for all the rest.

It is a requirement that a student must be immunized in order to attend school. However, some parents have found ways around it for whatever reason. I'm wondering if these parents themselves were immunized and so never had any of these diseases. Some of them can be quite deadly. Kind of a catch 22 I think:(

Smallpox?? Really??

There's no one to ask but wow, I never knew this.

Thanks for the info.

I gather parents are scared stiff of the link between immunizations and autism. Especially when Jenny McCarthy goes on the Oprah Show and blasts the pharmaceutical companies about what is ACTUALLY IN the immunizations.

I guess we really will never know.

Kitt - Catch 22 is a perfect way to describe it. Danged if you do, danged if you don't.

Years ago while I was in nursing school I had to do a research paper. I chose immunizations for childhood diseases - pros and cons. Even after doing the research that I had, I still questioned it with my kids. I think any parent would. However, because of this paper I did, I knew better and of course got my kids immunized.

I can understand the concern that parents have. However, the long term effect of not getting my kids immunized was worse than what, statistically, could happen with the shot. Life threatening pneumonia or severe brain inflammation was not something I wanted my kids to ever go through.

With quite a few cases occurring in California and Arizona it brings another concern as many people come through the borders from Texas all the way to California. There are a lot of illegals working in those areas who I am sure have not been immunized thereby, spreading the disease. As a result, guess where some of our tax dollars are going to go. And all those little newborns whose immune systems are not mature enough to receive the immunizations and yet, the measles is worse for these little guys as well as adults.

But as far as the school situation is, one year they would not let one of my DDs register because she didn't have one of her immunizations (Tdap booster at 14). She had a Dr. appt the following week for her school physical as well as for any shots that she needed. Still, they would not proceed with registration. They really gave me a hard time about it.

So, what documented proof would one have to have in order to register their child for school without the proper immunizations?

Odd thought about this - One choses to not immunize and yet they clean their homes with toxins that can cause the same thing they were trying to avoid.

Haven't heard this in west MI, Tricia. My PCP still makes me have the MMR and a tetanus shot every 7 years.

AMN - I've had that dang shot 4 times in my life. I was telling my mom once that if I have it one more time I'll probably end up getting the disease itself. LOL. Oh, and in some literature, can't remember which book on MS, it does mention something about measles and MS. Go figure. Since we had the shot so many times is that why we have it?

Not sure how many of you will remember this but back in the 70's they actually re-immunized many of us as they found that during certain periods the shot was not as effective. I can remember us lining up in front of the nurses office waiting to get out shots. I also remember one of my friends not having to get it because of her religion. Man, I so wanted to be a Christian Scientist that day.

I remember when the kids were little having to get the measles shots all over again, including myself. Apparently the one I had wasn't enough and the kids shots from when they were babies wasn't potent enough? Jim couldn't get it at all. It was a scary time worrying if he would get the measles. There was a huge outbreak in the Chicago area.

Heck, Jim has never had the chicken pox either! I ran a Varicella test on him and sure enough, never had them. When the kids came down with chicken pox, Jim had to move out to his mom's.

Here we go again with the measles. :rolleyes:

Is "3 Day Measles" just another name for "German Measles"? I was told I had the 3 Day Measles and later just 1 or 2 Chicken Pox on my butt.

Really? They wont let Jim have it at all. :confused: I better ask his doctor next week about it again. They used to say the same about the flu shot.

Yes, Rubella is sometimes called German Measles or Three Day Measles. It is pretty mild for sure. Rubeola is also known as Red Measles or Hard Measles and you can be quite sick from it. I remember every kid who had it was kept in a dark room and I do remember being quite sick. There can be real complications from that one:eek:

I also had whooping cough when I was three months old and they did not expect me to live.

I have a Tetanus shot every 10 years as prescribed. So does my husband and my grown children.

most of the parents who are concerned about the potential harmful effects of the vaccines are also ones who are very careful about toxins ... avoiding chemicals in home, yard, formaldehyde in carpets and furniture etc etc and using organic foods without chemical aditves

as more info comes out about the serious harm that chemicals do to kids health, many are trying to learn and adjust lifestyle as best possible.

it is an agonizing decision for a parent to choose not to vaccinate, not just a whim.

yep. that's us pretty much.

it wasn't my choice to have grandmonkey vaccinated before school started.

they gave him so many "boosters" he got very sick. fever, rash, sore mucles and joints. he ended up with chicken pox from that vaccine.

his immune system hasn't been the same.

this was a little kid who rarely got sick. he was subjected to lots of poeple and kids before shcool started, since we own a business. i do understand how kids pick up more illness in kindergarden...but he has been sick most of the shcool year.

when it came time for him to have more, so he could be "caught up". i put my foot down and opted out. no more vaccines.

Chemar & Curious - I owe you both an apology for this post. I can see how what I wrote could be misinterpreted. It was just a THOUGHT, based on experiences that I have had. Making the choice to immunize your child or not is strictly a personal decision and one that only a parent should make.

I too went through that decision making process. I have been there. But I went ahead with the immunizations on complete faith and prayers.

I didn't start this thread for a debate, I just couldn't figure how those who do not immunize their kids other than for religious reasons (which even then) register their kids for school. Do people need a notarized letter from their religious leader? How would one justify to the schools that it was a personal choice? Based on the small epidemics in several states, what will happen to those people or the kids who may be adults now and come down with the measles? (Which can cause more serious complications, even death).

it is a hard choice. absoluty no offense taken . not at all. :hug:

i do worry about him catching something. if an outbreak occures here...then i'll have to do more research and make another choice.

there are kids in a middle school being tested for tb right now. one boy has it.

in texas, there is a form on the government website. that has to be signed and sent in.

I'm sorry to hear about a child with TB. It's another disease that people used to be vaccinated against, but that too has gone by the way side.

As a hospital worker until recently, I did see many active TB cases. I am vaccinated and immune, but it's not a disease you really think of children contracting.

I do so hope the child recovers, and that the other children at the school all test clear.

Curious - I do hope that boy with TB is OK. You are right, it is a hard choice. As parents we try to make the best choices at that particular time. Thanks for the info on how it is done in Texas.

The BCG vaccine does not immunize one against TB... Here is an article that
explains it.

It was commonly used LONG ago but to the best of my knowledge is no longer.
It is not a guarantee that the vaccinated person will not contract TB.

http://www.cdc.gov/tb/pubs/tbfactsheets/BCG.htm

http://lungdiseases.about.com/od/tub...tb_vaccine.htm