Strollerderby : immunization

Kid Dies After Parents Said No to Hib Vaccine

JeanneSager — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 13:31:00 GMT

It's a disease entirely preventable, but a sudden burst in diagnoses of Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type B) in Minnesota kids has led to the death of one seven-month-old. His parents, along with those of two other infected children were in the growing group who have opted out on vaccinating their kids.

The fourth child infected was in the middle of the three-part vaccination process, while the fifth had an immune deficiency.

Despite the low number of infections, the CDC has gotten involved, concerned that parents choosing not to vaccinate their kids are putting other children at risk. Five kids, they say, is the highest number of cases in one area since 1992, when vaccinating against Hib became common practice in pediatricians' offices.

"The situation is of concern," Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease at the CDC, told CNN. "It could be happening elsewhere, and of course it's tragic that one of the children actually died from a preventable disease."

Since vaccinating against Hib became the norm for American children in the early 1990s, the CDC has seen a ninety nine percent drop in reported cases (from as much as twenty thousand before vaccinations).The disease primarily strikes kids under five, and it kills one in twenty. Of those who survive, ten to twenty percent end up with brain damage, many more go deaf.

What's troubling to me are the children infected despite their parents proper attempts to vaccinate - because other parents refusal to do so has allowed the disease to once again flourish. It's something very few people in the anti-vaccine community focus on - what happens to everyone else's kids. They argue that they are protecting their children from supposed toxins in the immunizations. But as a recent study proving the efficacy of the meningitis vaccine points out, the "herd immunity" provided by immunizing children protects the community as a whole.

By refusing to immunize their kids, these parents are putting society as a whole at risk - including the fourth and fifth kid in Minnesota, who were at special risks.

Image: CNN

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Tell Obama to Overturn the Global Gag Rule Sooner Rather Than Later

Shannon LC Cate — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 18:34:00 GMT

The Global Gag Rule, originally put in place by Ronald Reagan, makes U.S. aid dollars available only to health clinics that refuse to discuss abortion with their patients, regardless of the abortion law in their countries. As a result, helath clinics that provide basic services to poor people with little to no other options for health care have been closed due to lack of funding. Will Barack Obama overturn this rule (as Bill Clinton did during his years as president before GW Bush reinstated it)? Sure, he probably will. But let's be sure he knows that health care for poor women and children around the globe is a priority for us. This video from Engender Health tells you how to help:

Get Your Kids to Party Until They're Sick in Bed

Madeline Holler — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:37:00 GMT

Since becoming a mom, I've turned into something of a germaphobe. I've always hated pain and discomfort and I'm not a very stoic sufferer of colds, aches and pains. And loss of sleep? Forget it. I'll do whatever it takes to lower the risk of (1) me getting sick and (2) my kids getting sick, because (2) always, ALWAYS, leads to (1). This means scowling at other kids' runny noses, wiggling out of playdates with recently feverish children and lots and lots of Purell.

So I look at parents who intentionally expose their kids to chicken pox at germ-sharing parties with a mix of bafflement and fatigue. Though I do understand the "let's just get it over with" approach, I'm definitely in the "let's not experience it at all" camp. I like the chicken pox vaccine.

Most doctors, of course, recommend against exposing kids to chicken pox and recommend their patients get the shot. But these parents look at their own experience with chicken pox -- it was no big deal -- and figure that outweighs any risks present with the vaccine.

Me? I'm just grossed out (I can't help it!) at the thought of my kid sucking on some sick kid's lollipop. And even just a few days of mothering the little ones through fevers and scratchy skin makes me want to curl up in a ball and take a nap. Added to that: my husband and his people are suuuuuuuper immune to chicken pox. His brothers have never had it and he got them when he was 25 years old (seeing him covered in scabs -- we were just dating at the time -- was this close to a relationship dealbreaker -- nasty!). So I'm all over the shot.

What about you? Did your kids get the shot? Or do you do the parties? Any success? Am I being a big, cold baby in not wanting my kids to actually get the disease?

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Photo: chicagotribune.com

New Study States Kids Spread the Flu - Duh!

SunnyChanel — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:30:00 GMT

Since I had my daughter two years ago, I’ve been plagued with more bugs, illnesses and viruses than ever before. I blame sleep deprivation, playgroups, playgrounds, and frequently forgetting my Purell. Hot off the AP wire, they've reported that “new evidence that children are key flu spreaders”. Duh! The smartypants at Harvard spent four flu seasons studying the appearance of flu symptoms in local ERs and then tracked what zip codes the illnesses were most prevalent in. The answer won’t surprise you. Areas with more dirty, nose picking, non-mouth covering sneezing and coughing “germ factory” children were “struck first and worst” with the flu symptoms. Yeah, any mom or dad could have told you that.

In response to this new study, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sticking with the previous recommendation that children from age 6 months to 18 years old should be vaccinated, the previous recommendation was just for children under the age of five.

Flu season starts in just a month, so if you’re a flu shotter family you better get yours sooner than later.

Via AP

Sugarcoat Your Sweet Baby's Pain

Madeline Holler — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 22:03:00 GMT

Researchers have found the best way to ease the pain for shrieking infants after a round of immunization shots isn't Tylenol or boo-boo kisses or anything remotely medical.

The best way by far is to give them a small dose a mixture you can make at home: sugar water (and a follow-up paci).

A study, testing 2- and 4-month-olds both before and after their routine shots, found that babies given a 24 percent sucrose solution and a pacifier appeared in less pain nine minutes after the shot than the babies given sterile water and a paci.

Nursing babies following the shots appears not to have been considered.

So before the next round of immunizations, don't forget the Kool-Aid, minus the Kool of course.

US Panel Recommends All Kids Get Flu Shots

Cole Gamble — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:29:00 GMT

A Federal panel is advising all children, all the way up to age 18, get flu vaccines. Up to this point the general medical recommendation was for children in the highest danger zone, 6 months to 5 years of age, but now the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices sees fit to have them get their shots all the way up until the day they can vote.This decree could place a great strain on the country’s flu vaccine supplies, adding 30 million more children to the ranks of the vaccinated. On the other hand, a full out effort could cut drastically back on child sick days, which would bring up test scores and force less parents to take time off of work.

Photo: www.pearlandisd.org

Tattoo You

Adrienne Martini — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 19:00:00 GMT

The path to a more effective immunization may run through your grandma's Harley Davidson tattoo.

German scientists have discovered that ye olde tramp stamp may be a better delivery system for a vaccine than the standard injection. The hundreds of needle sticks cause larger rush of antibodies than just one prick and the greater response leads to a stronger immune system.

The researchers warn that this technique isn't suitable for kids because it is darn painful. And there is no research yet on whether tribal art or a cute little butterfly scares more infectious diseases away. Still, there is hope that this can be another way to multitask in our increasingly hectic age.

Image Credit: The photo on the right is of an actual product: the "GR8 TaT2 Maker," which is sadly out of stock at eToys.

Could Your Child Be Forced to Have a Flu Shot?

Madeline Holler — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 21:16:00 GMT

When it comes to vaccines, I just follow the pediatrician’s schedule, signing the consent form and administering two rounds of Tylenol afterwards.

But I have never gone out of my way for flu shots. Probably because I have to make the effort, since flu season and our well-kid check-ups never really align.

Parents with preschoolers in New Jersey may soon be forced to make off-season doctor's appointments to get the year's flu vaccines for their kids, if a requirement handed down by the state’s public health office, supported by the governor and likely to be rubber-stamped by the Public Health Council on Monday.

Naturally, some parents have come out in protest, arguing that their kids already get bunches of shots and also saying that flu shots frequently contain the preservative mercury, which some people believe is linked to autism. Some who protest the requirement have come out in favor of a “philosophical objection” to this and other vaccines.

This mandate would make New Jersey the first state to require a flu shot, but maybe not for long as other states are watching and will likely do the same.

While I’m completely in favor of inoculations of all kinds and raise my eyebrows at parents who opt out, I do think that, nonetheless, they should be able to object and pass on getting their children immunized. In the meantime, I think I’ll suck it up and go get the kids (and me) a flu shot. I’ve already seen too many runny noses in both my daughters’ schools and it’s only December.

Why I'm Going to Vaccinate My Unvaccinated Kids

Karen Murphy — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 14:28:00 GMT

I'm coming to the conclusion that I've been hiding my head in the sand for several years now when it comes to certain parenting issues. My happy little parenting Bubble Of Goodness. I think a lot had to do with being immersed in a Waldorf school community and all that went along with it: the Attachment-Parenting, no-circumcision (I haven't changed my mind about that one), no-vaccinating, organically-grown parenting ideals that many in that lifestyle, myself included, subscribe to.

I'm finding though that as my kids get older or as I chill out a bit or maybe both, that some of these ideals aren't as ideal as I once thought.

For instance, no children sleep in my bed ANY. MORE.

And the vaccination thing. My youngest son has respiratory issues anyway simply because of Down syndrome-related anatomy, and for him, dealing with a serious illness like whooping cough could be difficult if not fatal.

And it turns out that there's a measure of social responsibility involved here. If the majority in a group vaccinate, those who choose not to can rely on the group to protect them from the disease the rest of them are vaccinated against. But when a large number in a group fail to vaccinate, things fall apart. Which is why the largest whooping cough outbreak in recent U.S. history occurred in Boulder, Colorado, the city I recently moved away from (not for that reason) and a city where a large number of folks don't vaccinate their kids.

But don't take my word for it. Julie Marsh at The Imperfect Parent explains it oh so well. And I'm okay with you making the choices you feel are best for your kids, truly I am. I still worry for my own kids about some of the issues that kept me from vaccinating in the first place. But I no longer feel that those issues outweigh the larger one of social responsibility.

What's your stand on vaccinations? Yea or nay, and why?