How you know you're entering your second childhood

[neadods]

How you know when you're entering your second childhood... you get vaccinated. Again!

There are now two confirmed cases of the measels in the greater DC area, and according to the CDC, there is a question of the efficacy of the vaccine in the prime years I would have gotten jabbed. On the basis of "can't hurt, might help" I've signed up to get the adult MMR next week.

I've actually had the second M in that combination, so whatever vaccination I got either didn't take (if it was MMR) or was the pre-MMR version.

You'd be surprised how hard it is to get adult vaccs. Fortunately, my doctor pointed me at Passport Medical, which does vaccinations for travel. I said I was going to the UK (true, if not true in the near future) but frankly, "I'm going to Fairfax" counts these days!

Comments

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

OT but I sent you a PM earlier - a Holmes exhibition coming to London.

[redpanda13.livejournal.com]

I haven't had the jab but I did have measles-- prevented me from going to the Philly Zoo with my first-grade class, so I was pretty horked off.

Now I need to worry about shingles, having had chicken pox as well....

[not-hathor.livejournal.com]

oh boy. I'm of an age when asked when I had my shots for.... fill in the blanks.... I honestly have to say "I never have", because I had Mumps, Measles, Chicken pox, AND Scarlet Fever (I think that's the 'Old-School' name for Ruebella)all before I reached Second Grade. AT my last physical, my doctor talked to me about the shingles vaccine and I had to tell him, 'Too late, already had an outbreak ten years ago'. Sigh. Feeling old.

Polio? Don't think I got the shot since I don't have a scar; they gave us a syrup/serum in a sugar cube. To this day I don't eat sugar cubes, because it tasted so nasty!

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Answered now that I have LJ access. I get to go!

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Hopefully you can dodge that bullet. Shingles is not fun.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

My grandfather the doctor made sure I got every shot available at the time, but there's a question as to *which* one I got and he's no longer there to answer. If it wasn't live virus, it's no good.

[badgermirlacca.livejournal.com]

I had measles (and had shingles, a dozen or so years later), and I know I've been vaccinated against everything there is (military brat) but have no records, so... But I won't even get flu shots now. Tetanus, yes, but for the rest? I HATE needles.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I hate needles with a passion. I ask the doctor to wait a minute and try to get REALLY engrossed in a game of bejewelled.

[badgermirlacca.livejournal.com]

The absolute WORST part of my second knee replacement was the IV line. Even giving myself the anti-coagulant injections three times a day for ten days was not as bad as that IV line. I flinch just thinking about it.

[melusinehr.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow, thanks for the heads up. It looks as though I haven't been to any of the affected locations in the last few months, though I've definitely been to some of them in the past. Fortunately, I don't need new MMRs, but I can sympathize re: getting them as an adult; I had to get two new polio shots before starting law school because my only accessible records were in a format didn't show whether I got all three as a kid.

[maureen-the-mad.livejournal.com]

Scarlet Fever (or Scarlatina) is actually a bacterial infection (a strep bacteria, like in strep throat). Rubella is another name for German Measles or 3-day measles, which is caused by a different virus than the longer-lasting regular measles.

I got my childhood vaccinations in the early 60's, well before the MMR was released in 1971, so I'm pretty sure I've never received a mumps vaccine, but I remember getting measles when I was 5 or 6. I really should get the shingles vaccine, since I've never had chicken pox. Nea, you'll have to give me the information for Passport Medical - I can probably get the shingles vaccination there.

[redpanda13.livejournal.com]

Safeway advertises the shingles vaccination. I don't know about costs and whatnot. Used to be the shingles vacc was for those of 60+, but I think (hope) they've lifted that restriction. K had a bout when he was about 50, but got prompt treatment so not too bad.

The shingles vaccine doesn't guarantee you won't get it, but should improve your chances and reduce severity, like the flu shot. May need a booster every ten years or so.

[redpanda13.livejournal.com]

WebMD says you can get the shot whether or not you've had shingles before. As far as I know, you can have an outbreak of shingles more than once. I wouldn't let a past bout discourage me from getting the shot to fend off another one. Did the doc say you didn't need one...?

[amethyst-hunter.livejournal.com]

Something I didn't know until just recently: if you've ever had chickenpox, you need to get a shingles vaccine around age 50 - apparently the virus for shingles is very similar to/the exact same type as the one for the pox, which can put you at possible risk for shingles flare-ups later in life. (And I had the pox BAD as a kid. Most miserable 2 weeks of my entire 6th grade life.)

[not-hathor.livejournal.com]

I asked my doctor if getting a shingles shot now would prevent future outbreaks and he said it was 50-50, so I passed (shot was expensive). My bout of shingles was very mild, from what I hear -- thought I had a rash from new laundry detergent! until doctor at walk-in clinic asked how long I'd been suffering from Shingles ?!? - oh, yeah, and I had a sinus infection,too...

[suze2000.livejournal.com]

I didn't even know there was a shingles vaccine. I must ask my doc about that. My aunt got it maybe fifteen years back and was off work for three months!

There seems tone some confusion above amongst the commenters about measles, chicken pox and shingles. Measles and chicken pox are two separate viruses, though both are common childhood illnesses, only one hangs around in the nervous system with the aim of waiting until you are a little run down in late middle age to cause shingles: chicken pox. You can't get shingles if you've never had chicken pox.