Smallpox Vaccination

[hhardt]

Now that it seems that the nation is headed toward large scale vaccinations does anyone know if people with various new valves are or are not recommended to get the smallpox vaccine? It is my understanding that people with transplants are not recommended for the vaccine.
Granted there are normal risks a bunch of us faced when we were young, but avr was much larger. For those not previously vaccinated it would be a new venture. Possibly we as a community may soon be facing this decision. Those educated in bioligical warfare possibilities know that the potential dangers of having no immunity could be terrible.
This thread is so one may get out the truth, rumors, fears, etc and so forth now to allow for intelligent decisions when the time comes.
Comments are encouraged.
Hugo

 

[hensylee]

I remember my own - mmmmmmanny years ago, remember my children's and they were so sick. I would certainly require much more information these days before considering it, tho I don't believe I would be a candidate because of my heart's condition and if offered, I would not take it even if I was healthy unless I could be convinced of a really good reason and at this point I don't think we have one.

 

[Ross]

Right now, it's too new a subject to have all the information to make some sort of informed decision. I'll keep an eye out and see.

 

[LUVMyBirman]

It is my understanding that those whom were visiting their pediatrician for regular check up's during or after 1964 - the early 70's would have been vaccinated. Coverage was considered lifelong back then.

The new information appears to mention something of maybe 5 years of coverage??

Personally would I take it? No way. The side effects sound alarming. Hopefully in my particular situation I will either A. Not come in contact with it or B. I am immune from my childhood vaccine. The difficult decision I will face is protection for my child.

Don't get me wrong....I do believe in the 'required; standard vaccinations. She has had them all. I held back on the Chicken Pox vaccine until I was told it would eventually be mandatory for all school aged children. I figured why couldn't she just build a natural immunity like the rest of us did? Answer, there were other diseases and infections that children were being hospitalized for at that time. 3 years ago. Secondary to the pox. Flesh eating disease, staph. All sorts of goodies. That scared the heck out of me. Pop went the vaccine. Hope I made the proper decesion.

As Ross stated it's a wait and watch type of thing. I may change my mind if there is an outbreak. Cross that bridge if we come to it. Scary for sure. And a very PERSONAL decision. Discuss all of your options with you doctor. And please lets keep this thread alive. Thanks Hugo for starting the thread.

 

[Creed3]

Hi Hugo!

Hi Hugo!

You know I have thought about if the time ever came, would I get the vaccine, but I was more concerned with my kids than with myself. I really don't know enough about it. I don't know how the vaccine would effect small children. When I started school, they had just stopped giving the smallpox vaccine. That was in 1973. I was born in 1968. I never had it. It is something to think about, but I need alot more info before I make a decision like that.

Take Care!
Gail

 

[Ross]

There is a lot of information on the vaccine here. I hold reservations about smallpox, as I had my vaccination when I was little 1965 or so. I remember being terribly sick for a couple of days.

 

[hensylee]

The children/babies (mine were babies when they got theirs) get high fevers and feel very sick. It's "hold me, mommy/daddy time' til they are better and as Ross said, it takes 2/3 days. We were all taught back then that there were DPT shots and smallpox vacs and it was a foregone conclusion that we would protect our babies and we did; my later on child got the chicken pox vac and other things. Measles is available, too, but he caught them first. My granddaughter had the measles shot and she broke out. All of these things are something we, as parents, are advised to do, probably wisely. But, the smallpox disease has been eradicated and who is to say if it will be back, except for the dire statements on TV - also news is that if you get it, you have 3 days to get the vaccine. Hope we, as a nation, think for ourselves on this one and take a wait and see. Would hate to see lives lost because of govt urgings/suggestions.

 

[McCln]

Heyslee

Heyslee

The measles and chicken pox is just like the flu shot, it protects one from the dying from the disease, not from getting it in the first place. My brother and I had our vacs and broke out good at the same time with the ten day german measles and chicken pox. BUt I am still leery on the smallpox, had the shot years ago, 1965 kid here. But if they said it was no good, the side affects for the now smallpox shot, I would not take it. I do not want to be sick or die from a shot that was meant to keep me healthy. So decide for yourselves everyone. Take the time to understand the government propagande before taking any action of any kind. I believe that it is a scare tatic. Anyone in the free world could release the disease. It is in a petree dish in every lab in the world. All it would take is a person who is mad about something to release it. But take care all and I had to vent my voice. I have the wait and see what happens attitude. I can't be scared to walk outside if the governent tells me to be scared.

Caroline
09-13-01
Aortic valve replacement
St. Jude's valve

 

[hhardt]

For the record, I am one of those people that have had chemical, biological and nuclear warfare defense training. Based on what I know, if the government recommended the population get the shots tomorrow to prevent the spread of smallpox throughout our nation, I would have been the first in line. The potential dangers of letting smallpox spread is that bad. The nation has not had that recommendation. Only the military and emergency health providers are recommended with the danger as it now stands.
The objective of this thread is to determine if those of us with new valves fall into a class for whom the vaccination is not recommended and to also provide us un-emotional information on the real risks for our relatives/children so we can make informed decisions and recommendations if/when the time comes.
I have been in touch with the CDC and frankly our status is still not clear. The risks for others are being adequately explained in the press so far but will undoubtedly be done over and over by them again after they finish tarring and feathering Cardinal Law, the Catholic Church and Senator Lott. Currently smallpox has been treated fairly but you can expect an unbalanced view when the the press gets time for it. Since we know more now than in yesteryear about the dangers, I would expect less risks today. Just watch what the press can do in the next few months. Scare and bias is all they have to sell.

 

[azpam]

does anyone else but me have a problem with this smallpox vaccine that they will be using on the military people that has been in storage since 1970's!!!! how safe is that????? would you eat a piece of cake from your freezer 30 years old?? (reminds me of a seinfeld episode with elaine eating a very old piece of cake)

 

[weekycat]

It scares me to death!

It scares me to death!

My daughter just joined the Air Force. In fact she is in Basic Training at this moment. She wasn't in the military 3 days, when Bush announced that all military personnel would be FORCED to take this dangerous vaccine.

I know I had the vaccine as a child, and I must have been too young to remember it, probably a baby like Ann's children. I too thought it was supposed to be life-long protection, and now they're saying they just don't know... Hmmm, seems like there are just too many things they "just don't know" about.

I didn't like the idea of my daughter joining the military in the first place, I'm even more unhappy that she left for basic training 2 weeks before Christmas, but I'm terrified of the smallpox vaccine!

 

[hensylee]

Maybe Joy will come in and tell us what they are telling her husband.

azpam, the vaccine has to be new. They didn't keep that much on hand to give out this many shots, 'they'say. Am sure they are manufacturing as we speak. Look how many are to be given this and we know they didn't have enough. Think we are in for many surprises. What will they do when the troops refuse, as many surely will.

I am with Hugo - the press is having a field day with this - and other subjects. They cause us to hit the panic button before we know if there is a good reason. Even if the govt recommends, I will still look askance at the situation, however as of now, the govt has backed off the civiilians getting it. Ya'll keep your ears open and don't be a blind follower - educate yourself as information appears. Then check into health sites as more is known. It will be all over the internet. Maybe already is but I have not seen it yet.

 

[azpam]

i read in our az daily star newspaper friday dec.13(i have the article right in front of me): existing stocks of smallpox vaccine have been in storage since the 1970"s and the new vaccine expected to be ready by 2004 has not been tested on children. they are going to start vaccinations to military much sooner than 2004. in fact some are starting now. so they are using up the vaccine in storage for those folks. the public eventually will have the vaccine in 2004(the new stuff). no i didn't make that fact up. scary i think.

 

[hensylee]

OMG, azpam - that IS scary. This makes it 32 yrs old - and the drug companies tell US to throw away old medicine. We should be seeing results pretty soon since they will begin the vacs right away from what we hear. Feel for the guys and girls in the military and first responders. Hope they take their time and spread it out over time.

 

[hhardt]

Seems like we are worrying about the adequacy of the old serum. You can bet that we would not be vaccinating all our protective forces, military and civilian, if it was not known to be good. There are several ongoing studies where they are even looking at us oldtimers to see how much is required for a booster. Thus plenty of data.
FYI The following shows just who will be getting the smallpox vaccine:
http://wire.ap.org/APnews/?SITE=DCTMS&FRONTID=HOME

 

[Jean]

Ok, since I'm always jumping in saying things that stirs people up, let me add this...with my work in the veterinary world I have learned about concerns with animal medicine that all these vaccines they give yearly may well be causing an increase in auto-immune diseases like lupus etc. Many states are now studying requiring such vaccines less frequently...Michigan now has a 3 year rabies. Haven't heard about people, but it might pertain.? Decisions, decisions.

On another note...I do know that the gov. is making vaccine for smallpox now. I do not believe there is enough in storage for even doing the military...I thought this was all new....made up since the Gulf War. No documentation on that, but I'm pretty sure. We really should check out statements like that...me too...I'll report back when I find out.

 

[Jean]

Oh joy! I tried to post a write up summarizing what I found and when I put the web site address in, it all went away. Anyway see the CDC site at

Http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/vaccination/facts.asp

sorry I obviously don't know how to get the address in so you can just click on it. I don't think the age of the vaccine is a problem....bull semen is being used that is over 75 years old now...having been in liquid nitrogen all these many years. Sorry for my cyber incompetence.

 

[Jean]

Oh, it did it...it didn't turn color while I was typing it so I didn't think it worked. Thank you for your patience

 

[RobThatsMe]

Hi Jean,

Thanks for the information on the site. I just wanted to mention that I have also been thinking about this issue. Should I or shouldn't I have the vaccine? I travel often, and the exposure risk is greater in my opinion due to that.

Another major concern, is that there are other health issues as we get older that can also cause adverse reactions to the vaccine. Having said that, I copied the following information from the site you provided for all to read here.

Happy Holidays,
Rob

There are side effects and risks associated with the smallpox vaccine. Most people experience normal, usually mild reactions that include a sore arm, fever, and body aches. However, other people experience reactions ranging from serious to life-threatening. People most likely to have serious side effects are: people who have had, even once, skin conditions (especially eczema or atopic dermatitis) and people with weakened immune systems, such as those who have received a transplant, are HIV positive, are receiving treatment for cancer, or are currently taking medications (like steroids) that suppress the immune system. In addition, pregnant women should not get the vaccine because of the risk it poses to the fetus. Women who are breastfeeding should not get the vaccine. Children younger than 12 months of age should not get the vaccine. Also, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) advises against non-emergency use of smallpox vaccine in children younger than 18 years of age. In addition, those allergic to the vaccine or any of its components should not receive the vaccine.

In the past, about 1,000 people for every 1 million people vaccinated for the first time experienced reactions that, while not life-threatening, were serious. These reactions included a toxic or allergic reaction at the site of the vaccination (erythema multiforme), spread of the vaccinia virus to other parts of the body and to other individuals (inadvertent inoculation), and spread of the vaccinia virus to other parts of the body through the blood (generalized vaccinia). These types of reactions may require medical attention. In the past, between 14 and 52 people out of every 1 million people vaccinated for the first time experienced potentially life-threatening reactions to the vaccine. Based on past experience, it is estimated that 1 or 2 people in 1 million who receive the vaccine may die as a result. Careful screening of potential vaccine recipients is essential to ensure that those at increased risk do not receive the vaccine.

 

[Creed3]

I just found out today that the hospital that I work at just filled out the paperwork to receive the vaccine. I'm not sure exactly which employees will be getting the vaccine. I would imagine most of the Emergency Personel etc...I'm not sure if I would need to get it or not. Definately something I have to start thinking about soon if they want to give it to all the hospital employees.

Take Care!
Gail