St. Judes: No visitors who've recently received live vaccine

amother

Tue, Feb 03 2015, 3:11 am

this is from the St. Jude's Hospital website, guidelines for visitors:

Quote:

Avoid live virus vaccines and people who have received one
Some vaccines are made from live viruses. Currently, these include oral polio, smallpox, MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella), and nasal flu vaccines.
These vaccines may pose a threat to your child’s health. Any person with a weakened immune system, including patients with cancer or HIV infection should not receive live virus vaccines.
Do not allow people to visit your child if:
They have received oral polio or smallpox vaccines within 4 weeks;
They have received the nasal flu vaccine within one (1) week; or
They have rashes after receiving the chickenpox (varicella) vaccine or MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine.

curious what those of you who think UNvaccinated people cause a threat to people with compromised immune systems think of this, because the hospital clearly states that it is RECENTLY VACCINATED people who cause the health threat and makes no mention at all of unvaccinated people...

Dolly Welsh

Tue, Feb 03 2015, 3:21 am

Well, that ought to be obvious. People who recently got the vaccines are indeed mildly sick with the disease, and might hurt those with poor immunity. Being mildly sick with a weakened form of the disease is exactly how you avoid getting the disease itself, later, with all the bad things that can bring, such as dying and so forth.

That's odd? It's normal.

They didn't mention the UNvaccinated - either because: they weren't addressing that issue, that's too many people, or they were plain scared to, because it has got so political - or - they will mention it tomorrow, when they get around to it. They were focusing on this one obvious thing now.

And it is obvious.

There is nothing weird here.

Barbara

Tue, Feb 03 2015, 3:29 am

Ah, gotta love those incendiary titles.

No, the hospital does not say that no one who has ever been vaccinated may visit, as you suggest in your title. It says that those who may be infectious, due to recent vaccination, should not visit.

That's well known, and nothing that anyone denies.

It goes without saying that those who may be infectious because they are not vaccinated should also not visit.

But I don't hear the recently vaccinated screaming that immuno compromised persons should just sit home, it's not their problem, or, as an article I posted earlier quoting an anti-Vaxer stated, hey, people die, and if my recent vaccination kills you, it wouldn't bother me.

ora_43

Tue, Feb 03 2015, 3:35 am

Your title is very misleading. There's a big difference between telling people not to visit while a live virus is in their system and saying "no vaccinated visitors."

As for why the less-concern over the unvaccinated - that is presumably linked to herd immunity, which has been discussed ad nauseam in the other dozen vaccination threads. Long story short: as long as most people are vaccinated, the odds of any person - vaccinated or not - carrying the illnesses most vaccinate for is relatively low. Certainly lower than the odds that someone is carrying it days after it's been injected into their system.

However, long term, a large group of unvaccinated individuals is a far greater threat to the immunocompromised than is the use of live virus vaccines. Especially since the threat posed by the latter can be dealt with simply by people being careful during the 1-4 weeks after getting the vaccine.

imaima

Tue, Feb 03 2015, 3:40 am

amother wrote:

this is from the St. Jude's Hospital website, guidelines for visitors:

Quote:

curious what those of you who think UNVACCINATED people cause a threat to people with compromised immune systems think of this, because the hospital clearly states that it is recently VACCINATED people who cause the health threat and makes no mention at all of unvaccinated people...

Ok, I'll bite
1) Who gets smallpox vaccine nowadays? Haven't heard about nasal flu vaccines and oral polio vaccines either. An average citizen gets shots, or am I wrong?

2) Immunocompromised is not one homogenious group of people. I guess there are levels there. If someone is hospitalized in the first place, it shows that it is dangerous for them to be among general population. Nothing to do with an averagr toddler in a daycare.

Barbara

Tue, Feb 03 2015, 3:55 am

imaima wrote:

OPV may be given outside the US, in areas where there is still a lot of polio.

But you're right. No one is getting the smallpox vaccine now.

amother

Tue, Feb 03 2015, 6:41 am

I did wonder, but didn't bring it up in other threads, with this idea of "shedding" after receiving vaccines.... How many Amothers who are boiling over about the selfishness of unvaccinated kids being out and about in the general population, and especially in schools, because of risk to those with compromised immunity, are keeping their children home for some time after receiving vaccines out of respect for those vulnerable individuals??

imasoftov

Tue, Feb 03 2015, 7:06 am

Barbara wrote:

But you're right. No one is getting the smallpox vaccine now.

Wikipedia says that the US military requires some people to be vaccinated.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S.....ation

The CDC has enough vaccine stored to inoculate everyone in the US should that become necessary so it makes sense to leave the line about smallpox vaccine in the rules.
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/sm.....q.asp

workaholicmama

Tue, Feb 03 2015, 7:24 am

When my mom was sick (yurtseit this week) we weren't allowed to come to her in the three weeks after a child got the live mmr vaccine... even the nasal swine flu vaccine several yrs ago was a no no for us... my 18 yr old sister got the nasal spray instead of the shot, not realizing the difference, and had to stay out of the house for 3 weeks.... (though same sister had the mumps when it went around even though she was vaccinated, and was again out of the house for 3 weeks....) live vaccines are way different than the actual illness they aim to prevent...

cinnamon

Tue, Feb 03 2015, 8:00 am

Last year we had a polio scare here in Israel and they were giving out the OPV. My kids couldn't get it because dh is (very mildly b"h) immunocompromised. You better believe I was hoping EVERYONE who could get the vaccine did in fact get it so that herd immunity would protect them.

Heyaaa

Tue, Feb 03 2015, 8:14 am

amother wrote:

They don't tell you that you have to leave your kid home. They told me to be careful when changing diapers for the next 6 weeks. That's it. If I was visiting someone who is immunocompromised, I would've left her at home.

acemom

Tue, Feb 03 2015, 8:54 am

Title is very misleading IMHO.

If I recall correctly, the pediatrician mentioned that after any shot, there is a chance of a slight fever a few days later. For all the moms that freak out about it, that should be reassuring, as it is a sign of the body building up the immune system and fighting the "intruder". If the child would have had the disease itself, that is how long it would've taken the body to recognize and start fighting it.

To echo what Dolly Welsh said, the hospital's precaution makes total sense. They aren't banning ANYONE who has EVER gotten the vaccines, but only those that may still have the live disease in their systems.

(Not getting into the whole vaccine debate, but whatever proof you bring to support your theories/ideologies, has to be strong enough, not based on a sentence that YOU misread.....)

amother

Tue, Feb 03 2015, 9:01 am

I'll just add for those wondering what adults might have had these shots that I got the MMR again in my early 20s because my rubella titers were lower than recommended for pregnancy.
I got them tested again later and they hadn't gone up enough- I am so thankful that most people around me are sensible enough to get vaccinated and that herd immunity means I probably won't catch rubella while pregnant. I'm still waiting for a CMV vaccine, and you can bet I'll be first in line to receive it if and when it becomes available.

vintagebknyc

Tue, Feb 03 2015, 9:06 am

Barbara wrote:

OPV may be given outside the US, in areas where there is still a lot of polio.

But you're right. No one is getting the smallpox vaccine now.

do we know that for sure?

regardless, perhaps the amother you're answering doesn't know that the link came from st jude children's research hospital, one of the reknowned hospitals in the country for children with cancer. not from some wacky internet source,

southernbubby

Tue, Feb 03 2015, 9:28 am

The instructions on the shingles vaccine says not to go near newborns after receiving the vaccine but does not specify for how long. I have asked a pediatrician and he stated that an newly vaccinated adult poses no risk to a newborn. I have called the company that makes the vaccine but they have no time frame. To me the answer is to get the shot when none of my children are due to give birth for awhile.

Barbara

Tue, Feb 03 2015, 9:56 am

vintagebknyc wrote:

From the CDC:

Quote:

Should I get vaccinated against smallpox?
The smallpox vaccine is not available to the public at this time. (added Nov 13, 2002)

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/sm.....q.asp

Smallpox is considered to be eradicated.

I imagine that there are a small number of researchers who need to be inoculated, and the information provided includes bandaging the injection site and whom the person should avoid contact with.

None of this is newsworthy.