IPV vax question...

[borabora511]

Hi ladies...

DS has not had any vax's at all... and I was contemplating a few- IPV and the T part of DTaP... I found out that I couldn't just get tetnus for DS because it's an adult vax, and basically my Ped told me to just wait until he actually stepped on a nail- and then get it- so I'm even at more peace with not giving him that...

I was considering polio because we do travel down to Mexico alot... and I've heard (no hard facts, just heard) that they still have it down there... so I was concerned with contaminated water, etc... and him sticking everything in his mouth- you know!

Anyways, I started reading about the monkey kidney lining and AIDS, and then cancer... and I'm becoming a little bit more leary about it... I found out while I was pg- that my parent's never vaxed me- ever! I did have (I think) MMR when I went to state college and tetnus when I cut myself while boating when I was 20??? but, never when I was younger. My parents were poor and didn't know about "free" clinics (Thank God!!!).

So, my thought is- I have never been vaxed against any of this, and I'm healthier than most people I know... I would rather NOT get him IPV because I'm so up in the air about it... but, I need to know if there is any validity to wild polio still being down in Mexico??? And if I should worry about it with how often we travel down there...

any info/advice would be greatly appreciated!

[AnnaG01]

NAK

Here is the stats from Mexico from WHO
http://www.who.int/vaccines/globalsummary/immunization/countryprofileresult.cfm?C='MEX'

At this time, I would not be concerned

[pantufla]

It takes several weeks to get immunity from a vaccine, so getting the tetanus shot after stepping on a rusty nail doesn't make sense. If your LO has been in a situation where there is real, serious concern about tetanus, they will give the TIG (tetanus immune globulin). Vaccines are NOT emergency medicine.

I, personally, have never worried about vaxes before going to Mexico.

[iris0110]

There was a thread not long ago about polio and a claim that there was a "polio outbreak" in the US. I posted some links there having to do with polio. The thing to keep in mind is that in something like 95% of cases polio is asymptomatic. Meaning most people who get polio don't even know they are sick. 4% have general symptoms such as fever, chills and aches. Of the remaining 1% some will have paralitic symptoms but the majority will recover fully quickly. It is an incredibly small percentage of people who contract polio who actually get permanent paralysis. The so called polio epedimic in the US was directly related to the way polio was diagnosed at the time. And the drop in cases was related to a change in diagnosis more so than a vaccine. At the time polio was diagnosed on symptoms alone. However as we know the extreme symptoms of polio are very rare and more commonly caused by diseases like Guilean Barre, Meningitis, and exposure to the pesticide DDT. With the introduction of the vaccine there was a change in diagnosis of polio. It was no longer diagnosed on symptoms but through an actual test. As a result many of the so called paralyzed polio victims of the time are more likely the victims of DDT poisoning or Guillean Barre. Because we no longer test for polio here in the US we have no way of knowing if it is really "eradicated" as it is claimed. As the vast majority of cases will pass without any illness or nothing truly diagnosable most people won't go to the dr to be tested. The truth is we just don't know.

http://www.westonaprice.org/envtoxin...des_polio.html

http://www.polioeradication.org/casecount.asp

http://s45.photobucket.com/albums/f7...olio/?start=20

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pin.../polio-508.pdf

Here is a direct quote from the CDC's pink book on Polio

Up to 95% of all polio infections are inapparent or asymptomatic. Estimates of the ratio of inapparent to paralytic illness vary from 50:1 to 1,000:1 (usually 200:1). Infected persons without symptoms shed virus in the stool and are able to transmit the virus to others. Approximately 4%–8% of polio infections consist of a minor, nonspecific illness without clinical or laboratory evidence of central nervous system invasion. This clinical presentation is known as abortive poliomyelitis, and is characterized by complete recovery in less than a week. Three syndromes observed with this form of poliovirus infection are upper respiratory tract infection (sore throat and fever), gastrointestinal disturbances (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, constipation or, rarely, diarrhea), and influenza-like illness. These syndromes are indistinguishable from other viral illnesses. Nonparalytic aseptic meningitis (symptoms of stiffness of the neck, back, and/or legs), usually following several days after a prodrome similar to that of minor illness, occurs in 1%–2% of polio infections. Increased or abnormal sensations can also occur. Typically these symptoms will last from 2 to 10 days, followed by complete recovery. Fewer than 1% of all polio infections result in flaccid paralysis. Paralytic symptoms generally begin 1 to 10 days after prodromal symptoms and progress for 2 to 3 days. Generally, no further paralysis occurs after the temperature returns to normal. The prodrome may be biphasic, especially in children, with initial minor symptoms separated by a 1- to 7-day period from more major symptoms. Additional prodromal signs and symptoms can include a loss of superficial reflexes, initially increased deep tendon reflexes and severe muscle aches and spasms in the limbs or back. The illness progresses to flaccid paralysis with diminished deep tendon reflexes, reaches a plateau without change for days to weeks, and is usually asymmetrical. Strength then begins to return. Patients do not experience sensory losses or changes in cognition. Many persons with paralytic poliomyelitis recover completely and, in most, muscle function returns to some degree. Weakness or paralysis still present 12 months after onset is usually permanent. 102