Which vaccines provide herd immunity?

amother

Wed, Jul 03 2019, 2:52 pm

I really don't like vaccinating. I feel like it hasn't been studied properly as far as long term impact, and I feel like the negative aspects of the diseases they are preventing get so hyped up I start to wonder what they're hiding.

BUT I feel a sense of responsibility to others that makes me willing to take on a certain level of risk on myself and my children to help prevent others from getting sick.

So I gave all of my children a dose of MMR.

What other vaccines provide herd immunity? Those are the only ones I really feel comfortable giving at this point.

Ema of 5

Wed, Jul 03 2019, 2:55 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

I can’t answer that, but I just want to point out that selective vaccination is not an option everywhere.

amother

Goldenrod

Wed, Jul 03 2019, 4:06 pm

The mmr and varicella (although chicken pox is more beneficial for a girl to get when they are little - my boys are fully vaxxed including varicella, my girls I wait to see if they can catch chicken pox if not I plan on vaxxing before they get married (it’s dangerous for pregnancy). One of my daughters got chicken pox and it was very easy (easiest thing my kids were ever sick with). Although the whooping cough is also a communicable disease the newer version of pertussis only protects the person from symptoms so if you have small infants I wouldn’t let them near if they were vaxxed, as it doesn’t protect against infection or transmission and it is deadly for infants. So no it doesn’t contribute to herd immunity. Just do the mmr and varicella for heard immunity.

amother

Floralwhite

Wed, Jul 03 2019, 4:09 pm

amother [ Goldenrod ] wrote:

I had chicken pox as a little kid and by one one my pregnancies my immunity waned. So having chicken pox doesn’t always mean permanent immunity

amother

Coral

Wed, Jul 03 2019, 4:13 pm

You mean, the ones that are contagious:
Measles
Mumps
Rubella
Varicella
Polio
Diptheria

The rest:
Tetanus isn't contagious
Pertussis is contagious but vaccinated people can be silent carriers
Hep B is an STD
HPV is an STD
Meningococcal is only contagious via saliva

amother

Cobalt

Wed, Jul 03 2019, 4:14 pm

If you have the option to selectively vaccinate, I think you should look into each disease individually: what's the likelihood of catching it and are you more comfortable with your children having the disease than the vaccine.

While there is a lot of hype, there's also hard facts and statistics.

I do agree that not all the diseases are the same. And not all vaccines are the same either.

zaq

Wed, Jul 03 2019, 4:29 pm

"Herd immunity" is not a function of the type of vaccine but a function of the percentage of people who have received it. When most of the population has been vaccinated--I believe the minimum is 94%-- the minority who are not yet vaccinated have a measure of protection--but understand that THEY ARE NOT IMMUNE. Herd immunity simply makes it much less likely that the unvaccinated will come across someone carrying the bug.

If those not yet vaccinated go to an area in which the disease is endemic or epidemic, or if they encounter someone unvaccinated who has done so, they are at risk. This is how the epidemic came to these shores: someone traveled overseas to a place where there were outbreaks, caught the bug and unwittingly brought it back home to share with all those other unvaccinated individuals.

Herd immunity applies to infections that are spread person-to-person, whether by coughing, sneezing, spitting, breathing, kissing or other forms of contact. It does not apply to infections that are carried in water or transmitted by animals or insects. If a mosquito infected with malaria or yellow fever bites you, it doesn't matter that your whole platoon has been vaccinated--if you opted out of the vaccine, you gonna get sick, pal.

amother

Aubergine

Wed, Jul 03 2019, 4:41 pm

amother [ Coral ] wrote:

This.

amother

Mauve

Thu, Jul 04 2019, 12:34 am

amother [ Floralwhite ] wrote:

I had chicken pox as a little kid and by one one my pregnancies my immunity waned. So having chicken pox doesn’t always mean permanent immunity

Neither does the vaccine