this is why you should get immunized. and then maybe checked again.

[kalmn]

my mom believes in western medicine. so does my dad. we got all our immunizations. they made sure we got chicken pox. they dragged us off to the doctor whenever they suspected we were sick. i have jumped through all the hoops myself as an adult.

according to my blood tests yesterday, i'm not currently immune to measles or mumps. (but i am to rubella.)

i suspect i am off to the doctor again right soon to get immunized for a lot of stuff.

(they did more than just mmr testing yesterday; i'm going to wait until the rest of the tests come back.)

Comments

[noveldevice]

Most people should be getting childhood vaccine boosters at least every ten years for the rest of their lives, or so I was told by the clinic at the uni where I did my MA.

(Me, I have the superfreak grade of immune system--I got one unboosted measles and rubella vaccine when I started school in 1979 or so and as of my titre check four or five years ago, I still had *plenty* of antibodies. Which is good, because I also have vaccine reactions.)

[geeksdoitbetter]

vaccine boosters!

i can't belive i haven't thought of that

bad grownup!

[noveldevice]

Even natural immunity isn't lifelong for some people, but vaccines really only last five to ten years (cf., e.g., tetanus), and should continue being boosted into adulthood. It's just not a requirement so it doesn't tend to happen unless you work with an at-risk population.

I got a single unboosted mumps vaccine in 1985 or so and have been exposed multiple times since then and still haven't gotten mumps, whereas in the recent Midwest mumps epidemic, about 65% of those who came down with it had been vaccinated, and many had been either vaccinated or boosted within the previous six years.

[salexa]

Part of the reason you haven't gotten mumps is the exposure. One thing that helps maintain immunity is envirnmental exposure that reminds the immune system that it really should be fighting that. That is part of the reason that it is pretty much presumed (from what I have seen) that no one will be immune to smallpox without further vaccine... no one has been exposed to it since the early 70's.

[noveldevice]

"Natural" was a bad word choice--by natural I meant immunity acquired through having had and survived the disease. :)

[ailbhe]

Oh gawd, Astrid has been too ill to have her second set of jabs. I wonder will she have to have the first set over again, now, or is there still time for the boosters to do their thing. I don't really understand the biology of it all.

[noveldevice]

Just ask her doctor. She'll probably be in the booster window unless it's been ages.

[kalmn]

i don't believe astrid is old enough for it to have been too long.

*hug*

[geeksdoitbetter]

fuck!

i saw my doc last night

and completely forgot to mention the boosters

grr

i have another chance on monday and this time, i'm making a damn note!

[monstersocks.livejournal.com]

Aw, crap. Guess I need to get my blood checked, then.

[kalmn]

i know how you hate needles and go decades between blood draws. ;)

[wordweaverlynn]

Recently got a diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus booster. I've actually had measles, mumps, and chicken pox -- does having them, as opposed to getting vaccinated, leave greater immunity? I know I am not immune to smallpox; my vaccine (which I remember clearly) didn't take, and I have no scar -- sure sign of no immunity.

My immune system stays busy guarding me against tree sperm, animal dander, and the dreadful threat of celery molecules. I think Glenn Beck must be running it.

[kalmn]

yours and mine both-- i am sooo protected against the evils of connective tissue.

i do not know if having them provides greater immunity, but i would suspect so. thank you on godot's behalf for the dpt booster; it's hard to convince people there's an epidemic going on when it's not affecting them personally.

[redbird]

And here I've been assuming I was immune to smallpox, because I have the documentation that I was vaccinated, but I have no scar either.

[figment]

This sounds idiotic, but I didn't really realize that you could have a doctor draw your blood and see what you're immune to (vs. just immunized against). Now I feel like I should do that. I also wonder that none of my doctors ever thought it was important to check.