RubyTuesday Posted August 20, 2002 I know this is pretty far removed from ethnobotany but I'd really like some opinions from people here on Meningococcal disease and the vaccine... As a parent of a 1yo I'm a bit stressed out by things like the 60 Minutes story which basically say 'vaccinate your children against Meningococcal or their legs might have to be amputated' If you ask about it on parenting forums you mainly get people who rush out and get whatever new vaccine is on the market and would mortgage their house to pay for it if they had to. Twee and I are anti-vaccination and haven't given our daughter any so far. So does anyone know much about Meningococcal and what do you think about the vaccine or vaccines in general? Should we get it done? ------------------ http://www.angelfire.com/apes/liberty Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
occidentalis Posted August 20, 2002 I know that the vaccine that will be available is for Meningococcal C. This accounts for approx. 1/3 of Meningitis cases. The most common version of the bacteria, M. A has no vaccine available. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RubyTuesday Posted August 20, 2002 Yeah... I thought the most common type was the B strain though... Still, I'm wondering if it's worth getting the vaccine against the C strain because 'some protection is better than none'? ------------------ http://www.angelfire.com/apes/liberty Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jack Posted August 20, 2002 We have a 20month old, and I think vaccinations are a necessity, imagine you child contracted an illness that he/she could have been vaccinated against, how would you feel.... just my 2cents Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RubyTuesday Posted August 21, 2002 I don't really want to go into the reasons why we are anti-vax, except to say it is scientific as opposed to religious... It's a big call to make whether you do it or not, and everyone does what they think is right So you will be getting the Meningococcal vaccine for your baby? I saw it on the news tonight and it seems really 'rushed' and even doctors have apparently said it needs more research... ------------------ http://www.angelfire.com/apes/liberty Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waterdragon Posted August 21, 2002 i'd never vaccinate my son against it unless i knew for sure that the vaccine was going to be a life saving event. the school system tries soooo hard to stick a vaccine in the kiddies every year or so...fuck 'em, i say. we claim that he's allergic to eggs every time they try and push their shit into his system and they back right off. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
t st tantra Posted August 21, 2002 an anti-vaccination person said there had been a large outcry in the uk following the high incidence of side effects with this product. this should be easily checkable. i dont think my daughter will have the vaccine,something dosn't seem right with this anyway. t s t . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WarpedAstro Posted August 21, 2002 Got this from the news this morning: PM warns smokers of meningococcal risks Prime Minister John Howard has urged parents to give up smoking, warning they are increasing the risk of their children contracting the deadly meningococcal disease. The government has decided to provide free meningococcal meningitis vaccinations for one-year-olds and teenagers aged between 15 and 17 from next year. Health Minister Kay Patterson said the program would help save lives, despite a vaccine being available only for the C-type strain of the disease, which accounts for 60 per cent of deaths. The government will begin the program next year because of the limited availability of the vaccine, which must be imported from overseas. But Labor said with children of smoking parents four times more at risk of contracting meningococcal, the government should step up efforts to combat smoking. Mr Howard said some parents were taking unnecessary risks with their children. "There are some people in the community so irresponsible, not only about their own health but about the health of their children, that they continue to do these absolutely irresponsible things and expose their children to quite unnecessary risks," he said. "Parents who are concerned about ... their children contracting meningococcal disease, and who smoke, might think ... about the contribution they personally could make towards reducing the likelihood of their children contracting this absolutely abhorrent disease." Labor's health spokesman Stephen Smith urged the prime minister to recover up to $250 million in unpaid excise from tobacco wholesalers to fund preventative programs. Australian Medical Association (AMA) vice-president Trevor Mudge said the plan to vaccinate against meningococcal C strain would reassure the public, but had serious limitations. Dr Mudge said the real answer lay in boosting funding for medical research into the deadly disease. ©AAP 2002 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RubyTuesday Posted August 21, 2002 Australian Medical Association (AMA) vice-president Trevor Mudge said the plan to vaccinate against meningococcal C strain would reassure the public, but had serious limitations.Interesting. I read an interview with Kerryn Phelps (Head of the AMA) a while ago, and she said the Meningococcal vaccine wasn't suitable for widespread vaccination...Re the smoking... Well at least one of us is doing something about that (Twee hasn't had one in nearly a month) --------- Been doing some research on it and found this: The meningococcal bacteria is carried by many people in their noses and throats and only becomes a problem when the immune system becomes overloaded Now, I am no immunology expert, but couldn't the vaccine (and other vaccines) overload the immune system? ------------------ http://www.angelfire.com/apes/liberty [This message has been edited by RubyTuesday (edited 21 August 2002).] [This message has been edited by RubyTuesday (edited 21 August 2002).] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wazron Posted August 21, 2002 Vaccinations do not really affect the root cause of Meningococcus. They also don't provide perfect protection from their target strain (or as has been pointed out, two other forms of the illness also). They do however introduce foreign animal proteins directly into the child's body, which can have severe consequences if the child turns out to be allergic to the proteins used. Statistically speaking, Australian children have far more to fear from domestic violence, motor vehicle accidents and household mishaps. Systemic Meningococcal infection is still a comparatively rare affliction. Speaking from a holistic viewpoint, I believe Meningococcal disease to be the result of the changing patterns of human hygiene. The meningococcus organism normally competes with many other bacteria within our bodies. With the rise of the 'antibacterial' scare campaign (primarily used to sell cleaning products containing excessive levels of phenyles etc) has come the rise of these better organisms. The more fragile bacteria are being affected by the high environmental levels of hostile chemicals and losing their capacity to maintain balance. Meningococcus, unchecked and able to gain a dominant niche within the host, can go into reproductive overdrive. The human organism has evolved to develop a complex defensive response to hostile bacteria. An infection can frequently generate an immunity to further infections of the same type and even to other infections as well. The first inoculation recorded in Western medical literature was to infect a subject with cowpox- a mild illness- which also conferred future immunity to smallpox, a close relative of smallpox with far more serious effects. In the present times, most people live in an environment with exceedingly high levels of phenyles and other 'antibacterial' agents, and as a consequence minor infections (such as colds) occur less often. However, if immunity is a product of infection, we may be robbing our bodies of the ability to generate defences against broad classes of bacteria and germs. Please bear in mind that this viewpoint has not been scientifically proven, however I would love to do a study on correlating environment and Meningococcal disease. Vaccination is up to you, but in this case the vaccine might not be justifiable. I woould recommend a good diet, with plenty of zinc, iron, garlic, exercise and fresh air. All of there will help fight infections the natural way- by keeping the body in balance. Remember also that we humans can live happily in a clean environment, and that we don't need to chemically sterilise our entire environment all the time. BTW: glad to see another 'gonian on the site... wazron Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RubyTuesday Posted August 21, 2002 gonian? Oh, Bendi-gonian? P.S. Thanks for that thoughtful reply. [This message has been edited by RubyTuesday (edited 21 August 2002).] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
