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The Polio vaccine killed her father, she’s still pro vaccine



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blueberries




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 15 2015, 3:08 pm
In the fall of 1976, when Nuria Sheehan was an infant, she received a dose of the oral polio vaccine. In a stroke of horrifically bad luck, her father was infected with the weakened form of the virus. Paralysis set in. His health rapidly diminished, and he passed away about one year after Sheehan was born.
Sheehan recently wrote a piece for the Washington Post detailing her thoughts on vaccination and the fallout from the trial that followed her father’s death.

But despite her family’s tragic ordeal, Sheehan told Yahoo Health that she still believes in the power of vaccines and the herd immunity that comes with them. “The risk of an adverse reaction to a vaccine is incredibly low, but the health risks that are being created now by under-vaccination are immediate and significant,” Sheehan says. “That low risk is something that we should take willingly.”

The oral vaccine Sheehan received contained a weakened-yet-live dose of the polio virus developed by Albert Sabin, instead of another vaccination with an inactive form — such as the vaccination created by virologist Jonas Salk, who, during the trial that followed Sheehan’s father’s death, testified that the particular oral version Sheehan was given had some known dangers the inactive version he’d developed did not.

Since 2000, the oral polio vaccine is not recommended for routine use in the U.S. anymore, in favor of four shots of the inactive form administered in infancy and early childhood. This is because, very rarely, paralysis can follow in someone given an oral dose of the vaccine; roughly one in 2.7 million.

According to the World Health Organization, the weakened virus in the oral vaccine works by “activating an immune response in the body. When a child is immunized with OPV [oral polio vaccine], the weakened vaccine-virus replicates in the intestine for a limited period, thereby developing immunity by building up antibodies. During this time, the vaccine-virus is also excreted.” Which is when it can cause issues in the person received the shot, or the virus can potentially even genetically mutate or spread, however rarely. Sheehan’s father was never vaccinated against the virus, leaving him susceptible.

Today, the oral type is still used in parts of the world where polio is more common, but the U.S. finally fully switched over to the inactive form of the vaccine “because the few cases of polio that were occurring (8–10 per year) were caused by the OPV vaccine itself and not the wild virus,” according to the Immunization Action Coalition. “The change to IPV protects individuals against paralytic polio, while eliminating the small chance (about once in every 2.4 million doses) of actually contracting polio from the live oral vaccine.”

Modern medicine has allowed for the best method for vaccination in the U.S. via the inactive shot — but even with the oral vaccine, the odds of complications are very small, which is why it’s still used in many places around the globe.

This is Sheehan’s major message to those wary of vaccines: the risk is smaller than the gain.

She tells Yahoo Health that she never felt any contempt against vaccination, although her mother did choose not to vaccinate her much as a child and often relied on holistic treatment regimens. “After living through my father’s death and a court case, in which the county health system and the pharmaceutical companies took no responsibility, I completely understand my mother’s decision to not have me fully vaccinated,” she says. “But what’s critical to this situation is that my family was an extremely rare case.”

The odds of contracting polio from someone who has received the oral polio virus? One in five million, she writes. When Sheehan wasn’t fully vaccinated as a child, she could count on the immunity of the masses to bolster her own, as an exception to vaccinations and not the rule.

“I wasn’t at risk from serious illness because I could rely on herd immunity,” she says. “But now that level of herd immunity is eroding because vaccine exemptions are being overused.”

At age 25, Sheehan came down with mumps. Suddenly, she saw her body in two ways simultaneously: potential victim of infections and potential threat to spread them. Since, this has informed her thinking on vaccinations and immunity.

Having fully seen, touched and experienced all sides of the debate firsthand, Sheehan empathizes with the parents who have concerns about vaccinations. “I found Eula Biss’s On Immunity incredibly helpful to understand the fears surrounding vaccines,” she says. “As she points out, these fears come from valid places, in particular worries about toxins in our environment. However, the fears are being misdirected into decisions to not vaccinate.”

As Gail Shust, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the Kravis Children’s Hospital at Mount Sinai, told Yahoo Health last month, the odds of an unvaccinated person contracting measles after coming into contact with the virus is nine in 10. “The worst complication, which occurs in about one in 1,000 cases, is encephalitis, which can lead to permanent brain damage or be fatal,” she said.

Notably, with measles gaining steam in the U.S., Sheehan says she’d urge everyone to weigh the dangers against the imminent risks. With the MMR vaccine, the CDC estimates the odds of serious allergic reaction at one in a million.

https://www.yahoo.com/health/t......html
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noosheen




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 15 2015, 4:11 pm
There is a big difference between polio and childhood diseases ie measles or chicken pox. What is so terrible for a child to get the chicken pox? Why do we need to give our children chicken pox vaccines? My oldest child (28) was never offered that vaccine. And the flu shot??? My ped did not recommend it. Ever. about 6 months ago my daughter living in Israel called me to tell me her 12 month old daughter just had her first inoculation of her flu vaccine. The next one was scheduled in a month. shock

What the heck is going on???? Its too much.

It does say in the article that the live polio vaccine was given to her father but since that time the dead virus of polio is given.
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sourstix




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 15 2015, 5:53 pm
noosheen- lookup the way evolution works in reference to the fact that bacterias are getting stronger and the antibiotics need to be stronger. the weeker pp. will automatically need a stronger dose to save them. but the bacteria is unfortunately getting stronger and stronger thats why pp are dying from flu and chicken pox. whereas when I was a kid we werent receiving chicken pox vaccine. bec ppl werent dying from it like today hence we need vaccines
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little_mage




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 15 2015, 7:58 pm
The chicken pox vaccine is also pretty recent. Noosheen, I'm your oldest daugher's age. I had chicken pox when I was four; my sister, who is three years younger, never caught it, and got the vaccine since it came out when she was nine or ten.

This article actually really sums up my feelings on vaccines-it's not that adverse reactions don't happen, it's that the chance of them are so small, that it is a risk I am willing to take.
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amother


 

Post Sun, Feb 15 2015, 8:00 pm
sourstix wrote:
noosheen- lookup the way evolution works in reference to the fact that bacterias are getting stronger and the antibiotics need to be stronger. the weeker pp. will automatically need a stronger dose to save them. but the bacteria is unfortunately getting stronger and stronger thats why pp are dying from flu and chicken pox. whereas when I was a kid we werent receiving chicken pox vaccine. bec ppl werent dying from it like today hence we need vaccines


in fact, many doctors believe that when we vaccinate against a virus, that virus eventually mutates, and can turn into something even worse.
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Scrabble123




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 15 2015, 8:10 pm
amother wrote:
in fact, many doctors believe that when we vaccinate against a virus, that virus eventually mutates, and can turn into something even worse.


You obviously do not understand the science behind mutations. Vaccines do not attack an active infection: they simply produce antibodies to provide those vaccinated with immunity to the virus or bacterium vaccinated against. Mutations occur when an active infection mutates so if anyone is to be blamed for "causing mutations" it would be anti vaxxers who allow the disease to actively infect individuals or those who do not treat infections with antibiotics or start antibiotics and then stop (which is the sad case of how MDR and XDR TB came about).... If vaccines eliminate diseases it is impossible for them to mutate because they do not exist (it would be like a baby being born without parents)
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amother


 

Post Sun, Feb 15 2015, 8:21 pm
amother wrote:
in fact, many doctors believe that when we vaccinate against a virus, that virus eventually mutates, and can turn into something even worse.

In fact, my researcher FIL says that the virus mutates in the unvaccinated hosts not the other way around
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yogabird




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 15 2015, 9:03 pm
Scrabble123 wrote:
You obviously do not understand the science behind mutations. Vaccines do not attack an active infection: they simply produce antibodies to provide those vaccinated with immunity to the virus or bacterium vaccinated against. Mutations occur when an active infection mutates so if anyone is to be blamed for "causing mutations" it would be anti vaxxers who allow the disease to actively infect individuals or those who do not treat infections with antibiotics or start antibiotics and then stop (which is the sad case of how MDR and XDR TB came about).... If vaccines eliminate diseases it is impossible for them to mutate because they do not exist (it would be like a baby being born without parents)

This would only be true if all the pathogens we vaccinate for can not live anywhere outside the human body. Is it?
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yogabird




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 15 2015, 9:15 pm
amother wrote:
In fact, my researcher FIL says that the virus mutates in the unvaccinated hosts not the other way around

It's not about where and when the pathogen mutates. Microbes mutate all the time. The replicate so quickly that mistakes in the DNA are bound to happen.

The virus may mutate in unvaccinated hosts (note: that doesn't necessarily mean anti-vaccine hosts, there will always be people that can not be vaccinated for whatever reason), but the human body in all it's wisdom is able to create custom antibodies to fight each virus with it's particular DNA and antigen expression, while the vaccine will only confer immunity on to its host for the specific strains it contains.

So you tell me, which environment confers selective advantage for the mutated population allowing it to thrive and outnumber the wild-type?
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Hashem_Yaazor




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Feb 16 2015, 9:28 am
sourstix wrote:
noosheen- lookup the way evolution works in reference to the fact that bacterias are getting stronger and the antibiotics need to be stronger. the weeker pp. will automatically need a stronger dose to save them. but the bacteria is unfortunately getting stronger and stronger thats why pp are dying from flu and chicken pox. whereas when I was a kid we werent receiving chicken pox vaccine. bec ppl werent dying from it like today hence we need vaccines

Antibiotics and resistant bacteria have absolutely nothing to do with viruses like influenza and chicken pox.
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southernbubby




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Feb 16 2015, 9:41 am
Remember that viruses such as rubella and chicken pox are usually not dangerous to the person that has them but may adversely affect a fetus. I am hoping that the shingles vaccine will soon be marketed to younger people. My insurer won't pay until I turn 60, which is at least soon. My son had shingles at 25 and it appears that it is now affecting more and more young people, possibly due to the fact that being exposed routinely to chicken pox gives immunity to shingles but now that people are vaccinated, those who had the actual chicken pox are more at risk for shingles.

Chicken pox can cause encephalitis on rare occasions but shingles can cause long term severe pain, itching, and sometimes blindness. To me it appears that shingles is more dangerous than chicken pox.
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Scrabble123




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Feb 16 2015, 9:42 am
southernbubby wrote:
Remember that viruses such as rubella and chicken pox are usually not dangerous to the person that has them but may adversely affect a fetus. I am hoping that the shingles vaccine will soon be marketed to younger people. My insurer won't pay until I turn 60, which is at least soon. My son had shingles at 25 and it appears that it is now affecting more and more young people, possibly due to the fact that being exposed routinely to chicken pox gives immunity to shingles but now that people are vaccinated, those who had the actual chicken pox are more at risk for shingles.

Chicken pox can cause encephalitis on rare occasions but shingles can cause long term severe pain, itching, and sometimes blindness. To me it appears that shingles is more dangerous than chicken pox.


If your doctor submits an explanation as to why he wants you to have a shingles vaccine, your insurance may cover it.
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southernbubby




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Feb 16 2015, 10:07 am
Scrabble123 wrote:
If your doctor submits an explanation as to why he wants you to have a shingles vaccine, your insurance may cover it.


It will cover it one month from tomorrow so I am probably ok but the shingles vaccine needs to be studied for use in young adults so that that population can be protected.
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noosheen




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Feb 16 2015, 12:44 pm
So if more children were exposed to chicken pox And had it when young instead of having it suppressed with the vaccine, then shingles wouldn't be such a problem for adults later on. Southern bubbie stated this herself.
Don't u think that all of this suppressing of childhood diseases with vaccines is bad for our immune system? It is healthy for our bodies and immune system to be exposed to viruses and it enables the immune system to fight. Remember the first year our little ones started nursery school. They got sick all year. One cold/cough after another. But the second year was much better Cz their little immune systems were already stronger at fighting the viruses in theair.

Of course there is a small percentage of the population who get into trouble with measles, chicken pox, flu etc. But for the vast majoority they recover with no long lasting harm.
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southernbubby




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Feb 16 2015, 1:53 pm
noosheen wrote:
So if more children were exposed to chicken pox And had it when young instead of having it suppressed with the vaccine, then shingles wouldn't be such a problem for adults later on. Southern bubbie stated this herself.
Don't u think that all of this suppressing of childhood diseases with vaccines is bad for our immune system? It is healthy for our bodies and immune system to be exposed to viruses and it enables the immune system to fight. Remember the first year our little ones started nursery school. They got sick all year. One cold/cough after another. But the second year was much better Cz their little immune systems were already stronger at fighting the viruses in theair.

Of course there is a small percentage of the population who get into trouble with measles, chicken pox, flu etc. But for the vast majoority they recover with no long lasting harm.


Let's understand what I said. Shingles used to be an illness that usually affected the elderly. The theoretical reason for this was that #1) the immune system was weaker in the elderly so the dormant chicken pox virus that remains for life in the body was able to manifest itself in an illness and #2) people who were around small children were constantly re-exposed to chicken pox and this boosted their immunity. Remember that these are theories and no one is sure why shingles is now a problem for college students although it rarely was in the past. My sister-in-law, who is older than me, did have shingles twice, once when she was in college and once while making her daughter's wedding. Stress seems to be a factor in developing shingles. Vaccination for shingles seems to reduce the incidence by 50 to 60% and reduce the severity of the rest of the cases.

While some of those diseases that you want to see people stop getting vaccinated for may have low death rates in the US, I remember meeting a blind woman who had rubella as a fetus. There can be a real price to pay for some of these viruses. For example chicken pox during the first trimester can cause this:

What would happen to my baby if I got chicken pox while I'm pregnant?

Chances are good that no harm would come to your baby, but timing is a factor. If you get chicken pox during the first or second trimester of pregnancy, there's a slight risk (probably less than 2 percent overall) that your baby will get something called congenital varicella syndrome (CVS). The risk is highest if you're infected between 13 and 20 weeks' gestation.

CVS is characterized by birth defects, most commonly skin scarring, malformed limbs, an abnormally small head, neurologic problems (like intellectual disability), and vision problems. Plus, a baby with CVS may also grow poorly in utero and suffer from seizures and physical and mental developmental disabilities. The infection may also increase the risk of miscarriage or later fetal death.
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Scrabble123




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Feb 16 2015, 1:54 pm
noosheen wrote:
So if more children were exposed to chicken pox And had it when young instead of having it suppressed with the vaccine, then shingles wouldn't be such a problem for adults later on. Southern bubbie stated this herself.
Don't u think that all of this suppressing of childhood diseases with vaccines is bad for our immune system? It is healthy for our bodies and immune system to be exposed to viruses and it enables the immune system to fight. Remember the first year our little ones started nursery school. They got sick all year. One cold/cough after another. But the second year was much better Cz their little immune systems were already stronger at fighting the viruses in theair.

Of course there is a small percentage of the population who get into trouble with measles, chicken pox, flu etc. But for the vast majoority they recover with no long lasting harm.


Not at all. Your premise is faulty science. I discussed some of it on the chicken pox thread.
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