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Question:

Hi, nL Check with Merck & Co, the manufacturer of the vaccine.  As far as I’ve heard, even they admit that the vaccine was developed for children at high risk for complications from chicken pox, such as kids with leukemia or compromised immune systems – and more important, that the vaccine confers only temporary immunity to chicken pox. Chicken pox is a relatively mild, self-limiting disease for children.  A child who catches & recovers from chicken pox gains lifetime immunity.  A child who obtains temporary immunity from the vaccine will be at risk of catching chicken pox as an adult, when the disease can have much more serious effects. Chris "Life has meaning only in the struggle.  Triumph or defeat is in the hands of the gods…so let us celebrate the struggle!"        Swahili Warrior Song

Response:

I never had chicken pox (or any other childhood disease), so I had the chicken pox vaccine, even though I think I might be immune. Now it looks like to play it safe, I’ll have to get it again every few years. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Chris Fincham wrote: > Hi, nL > Check with Merck & Co, the manufacturer of the vaccine.  As far as I’ve > heard, even they admit that the vaccine was developed for children at high > risk for complications from chicken pox, such as kids with leukemia or > compromised immune systems – and more important, that the vaccine confers > only temporary immunity to chicken pox. > Chicken pox is a relatively mild, self-limiting disease for children.  A > child who catches & recovers from chicken pox gains lifetime immunity.  A > child who obtains temporary immunity from the vaccine will be at risk of > catching chicken pox as an adult, when the disease can have much more > serious effects. > Chris > "Life has meaning only in the struggle.  Triumph or defeat is in the hands > of the gods…so let us celebrate the struggle!" >        Swahili Warrior Song

Response:

Kip King wrote:

"I never had chicken pox (or any other childhood disease), so I had the chicken pox vaccine, even though I think I might be immune.  Now it looks like to play it safe, I’ll have to get it again every few years." Grrrr.  Not snarling at you, Kip, but at the docs who tell PwMS *not* to use something like echinacea because it stimulates the immune system…which it admittedly does, in a gentle manner.  Yet they recommend vaccination… Seriously, think about how you usually catch a virus.  A few  droplets of liquid containing pathogens from an infected person come in contact with your mucous membranes, and that’s enough to stimulate your immune system to a protective reaction.  Compare this to vaccination…a hypo-full of pathogens injected directly into your bloodstream…now *that’s* heavy-duty immune system stimulation! Kip, did your doc explore *why* you never got chicken pox?  You may not need a vaccination – your doc can run a titer to determine whether you already possess sufficient antibodies. (vbg) And a few words for Meg.  Meg, you’re *supposed* to be immune after getting it once!  Sigh.  PwMS – breaking all the rules… Chris F "Life has meaning only in the struggle.  Triumph or defeat is in the hands of the gods…so let us celebrate the struggle!"        Swahili Warrior Song

Response:

In article <19990901071955.20412.00002…@ng-cs1.aol.com>, mluehm…@aol.com (MLuehmann) writes: >When I was 1st Dx’d with MS my neurologist told me not to get any vaccicines >eithre, but recently when I asked him again abnout the flu vac. He said he >didn’t have a problem with my my getting any vaccicines. Now my question is >this: Has he found new literatrure on the subject, or dosen’t he remember the >reasonong for his first answer?

Am not really sure how he is thinking, or why. I do know that my reaction to a previous flu shot is why my neuro wants me to avoid vaccines. He never mentioned it in relation to the MS, just in reference to my previous experience (a week in the hospital)  I suppose I have been fortunate in that I have only (knock on wood) had the flu twice in the 20 or so years that I haven’t taken the shot. Margaret "You are braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." Christopher Robin to Pooh in "Pooh’s Grand Adventure" to reply directly to me remove nojunk from my email address

Response:

On Wed, 1 Sep 1999, MLuehmann <mluehm…@AOL.COM> wrote:

Hi, > When I was 1st Dx’d with MS my neurologist told me not to get any vaccicines > eithre, but recently when I asked him again abnout the flu vac. He said he > didn’t have a problem with my my getting any vaccicines. Now my question is > this: Has he found new literatrure on the subject, or dosen’t he remember the > reasonong for his first answer? He dosen’t seem to be consistant with his > answer. Time to get a 2nd opinion.

When I asked my neuro about suggested inoculations, she advised me to VERY cautious with inoculations, because they tend to tamper with the immune system, and this could lead to an excerbation. She told me, one has to carefully consider the benefits of an inoculation contrary to with a possible excerbation. One even might take special measures, when a family member gets an inoculation, cause mostly the viruses are alive in serum, so the PWMS could be infected by a family member. Last year, I read a summary in MEDLINE (can’t remeber which artice, but it was posted by Irvin Mortman) about a neuro suggesting flu-vaccines, cause the benefits tend to be better than the disadvantages by an excerbation. Personally I did NO inoculations since almost 20 years. One has to be cautious of getting infected. just my 0.02$,         Andreas — Andreas Landhaeusser —- Visit the Home-Page of the German Multiple-Sclerosis Mailinglist         http://home.t-online.de/home/Kersten.42/multiple.htm

Response:

On 1 Sep 1999, MLuehmann <mluehm…@aol.com> wrote: Hi, > When I was 1st Dx’d with MS my neurologist told me not to get any vaccicines > eithre, but recently when I asked him again abnout the flu vac. He said he > didn’t have a problem with my my getting any vaccicines. Now my question is > this: Has he found new literatrure on the subject, or dosen’t he remember the > reasonong for his first answer? He dosen’t seem to be consistant with his > answer. Time to get a 2nd opinion.

When I asked my neuro about suggested inoculations, she advised me to VERY cautious with inoculations, because they tend to tamper with the immune system, and this could lead to an excerbation. She told me, one has to   carefully consider the benefits of an inoculation contrary to with a possible excerbation. One even might take special measures, when a family member gets an inoculation, cause mostly the viruses are alive in serum, so the PWMS could be infected by a family member. Last year, I read a summary in MEDLINE (can’t remeber which artice, but it was posted by Irvin Mortman) about a neuro suggesting flu-vaccines, cause the benefits tend to be better than the disadvantages by an excerbation. Personally I did NO inoculations since almost 20 years. One has to be cautious of getting infected. just my 0.02$,         Andreas — Andreas Landhaeusser —- Visit the Home-Page of the German Multiple-Sclerosis Mailinglist         http://home.t-online.de/home/Kersten.42/multiple.htm

Response:

In article <19990901071955.20412.00002…@ng-cs1.aol.com>, mluehm…@aol.com (MLuehmann) writes: >When I was 1st Dx’d with MS my neurologist told me not to get any vaccicines >eithre, but recently when I asked him again abnout the flu vac. He said he >didn’t have a problem with my my getting any vaccicines. Now my question is >this: Has he found new literatrure on the subject, or dosen’t he remember the >reasonong for his first answer? He dosen’t seem to be consistant with his >answer. Time to get a 2nd opinion.

My neuro in 1994 (and all others since) told me they "don’t believe" anymore that it is bad for ms people to have the flu vaccine.  In fact they recommended it and a pneumonia vaccine, which I had.  Getting the flu and a fever has the worst effect on ms!  When I get the flu, I can’t walk *at all*. Kathi

Response:

I know that becoming ill with the flu would likely trigger an exacerbation (in me) and when I’ve mentioned this before, I’ve been blasted for it, but in November 1993 I took a flu shot (whatever vaccine they were pushing that year) and subsequently had the worst exacerbation ever. Complete shutdown. Whatever the current thinking is, I take my chances with MAYBE getting the flu instead of getting a shot and going through that whole deal again. Best regards, Meg > Kathi Matthews wrote: My neuro in 1994 (and all others since) told me they

"don’t believe" anymore that it is bad for ms people to have the flu vaccine.  In fact they recommended it and a pneumonia vaccine, which I had. Getting the flu and a fever has the worst effect on ms!  <

Response:

My neuros said the same thing, I don’t get flu shots or anything else.