posted
We have been investigating a case of measles in a local child with no travel history. The child is too young to have been vaccinated, so his illness really couldn't have been prevented... just a case of bad luck. But we've been calling all of the people who might have had contact with him before he was diagnosed to let them know that they've been exposed and to follow up on their vaccination history.
Not surprisingly, most of the young adults I've talked to do not recall whether they've been vaccinated or not. I've suggested that they check with their parents or their physicians to ease their minds.
What's kind of interesting though, is I recall very clearly getting my MMR booster shot when I was 5 years old. I think I remember it so well because my older brother and sister had already had the measles, so they didn't have to get a shot at the same time, and I remember the extreme INJUSTICE of it all.
Of course, five years later, when they had mumps and I didn't, it was all good.
My question is, am I a freak here? Is it really all that unusual that I remember getting vaccinated? Do any of you remember vaccines?
(And, as a public health professional, if you don't, it's a good idea to check with your parents or medical provider and keep those records, because you never know when you might be exposed).
posted
I remember getting vaccines, but my mother didn't keep a record of which ones I got, so I have no idea what I have. Plus we moved around - a lot - so I have no idea if there were a bunch in there that I missed just because she was too lazy to care about making sure I get them.
However, when I was planning a trip to Belize, I was tested for MMR immunity and tested positive, so I didn't need that shot. I also updated my tetanus - it had been long enough since my last one that it made sense to get. Plus I got Hep A & B shots.
Huh. I'm wondering. I may have gotten one that included diptheria, typhoid, or something, but I don't remember exactly. I could check my vaccine card and find out. Eh. But I'm too lazy right now.
I am considering getting a polio vaccine. It's still common in this part of the world, common to the point that I know people at church who had polio. Yikes!
Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
Okay, is this weird? I had a chart of vaccine schedules and kept medical records for all my dolls charting when they got theirs (you know, with my Fisher Price doctor kit hypodermic).
My dad's a doctor and my mom's a nurse. Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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I don't particularly remember getting them, but California used to require rubella tests before you could get a marriage license. At that point I did confirm with my mom that I had gotten all my shots. I think I even know where she keeps the records.
I do remember getting TB tests. Both kinds. Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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I have to get my mission physical tomorrow. I do remember having to get vaccinated before they'd let me into college, so I 'm pretty sure I'm up to date on everything but Hepatitis.
Will the doctor know this? Are my vaccinations floating around in Doctor Cyberspace somewhere?
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posted
Is this the same doctor who you've been seeing for a while? If you had a previous doctor, did they pass along your medical records?
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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There's a big polio epidemic in your part of the world (which I guess you know) so if you've never had a polio booster as an adult, I'd recommend that you do.
The vaccine you're probably thinking of it Td, Tetanus/diphtheria toxoid. Most people call it a tetanus shot, but it has diphtheria too. You should have a booster every 10 years.
International travelers (and missionaries, Annie ) should have Hep A & B shots. They are given over a period of 6 months. There's now a combined A&B shot - there are three doses required for full lifelong immunity.
Annie,
The medical office where you received your vaccinations should have a record of when you received them. You're young enough that it shouldn't be that hard to obtain the shot records.
Posts: 2069 | Registered: May 2001
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I remember having MMR before sixth grade, it was a requirement in our state. I don't know when for the rest, but I know I had most stuff, I'm too old for the chicken pox vaccine though (I think they might have had it around when I was in kindergarten, but I'd already had chicken pox.
Posts: 94 | Registered: Apr 2005
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I only remember one immunization as a child - and that because I struggled so badly against it that I still have a half-inch dimpled round mark on my upper arm from it. And no that's not an exaggeration!
I do have full and complete immunization records on both kids, though, and replicated in several locations, in addition to the records at the doctor's office.
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quote:Originally posted by Goody Scrivener: I do have full and complete immunization records on both kids, though, and replicated in several locations, in addition to the records at the doctor's office.
All of the parents I spoke to knew exactly when and where their children were vaccinated. But to a person, none of them knew their own status.
It's especially important for mothers of infants to know whether they are immune, since babies under 6 months are heavily dependant on maternal antibody for protection in a case like this. (Most of the contacts we talked to were exposed in the doctor's office while waiting for well baby checks)
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posted
I can remember being told that I was going to have to get a measles shot (I was already school-age before the vaccine began being used), but I thought it was pretty silly to have to get it becuase I have a natural immunity to both meases and mumps, as did my father and his mother. Anyway, I was around an awful lot of kids when they were contagious with both diseases and I never got them.
I do remember getting my polio vaccine, right when the oral vaccine was first being given out. I remember going down with my parents to the school auditorium where they were giving it out on sugar cubes. I pretty much couldn't believe that I was actually being encouraged to suck on a sugar cube. I was about four years old or so at the time.
Edit for stupid grammatical error.
Posts: 2454 | Registered: Jan 2003
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I remember getting my MMR and tetanus shots and a TB test before I started kindergarten. They made me cry. Posts: 4089 | Registered: Apr 2003
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I remember my vaccinations. I also remember having the chicken pox twice and having to go through the Hep vaccination twice. I still dunno if I actually have immunity.
I also remember getting fingerprinted. But that's an ENTIRELY different story.
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