CHERUBS Medical Expert Series: CDH & Vaccinations (Oct 1-7, 2013)

[Dawn Torrence Ireland]

Join us tomorrow for CHERUBS Medical Expert Series: CDH & Vaccinations

Christopher Barry, PA will guest speak and answer your questions about vaccinations on CHERUBS CDH Family Forums during October 1st through the 7th.

Chris is a Medical Liaison to the American Academy of Pediatrics
American Academy of Physician Assistants and a Physician Assistant at Jeffers, Mann, and Artman Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, which is affiliated with Duke University Medical Center.

Chris is also a published author on the importance of vaccinations and the father of 8 year old CDH survivor, Jessica.

All forum rules of courteous behavior apply and will be enforced if necessary.

[ChrisBarry]

Disclaimer: I cannot give specific medical advice to your child. Please consult with your child’s health care provider for information on your child’s health.

As a parent and health care provider, one of my main concerns is to keep children healthy and safe. There are many ways to protect children, including proper sleep positioning, child-proof safety latches, and child passenger safety seats. Vaccines, also called immunizations, are another very important tool to keep children healthy. Vaccines allow the immune system to make antibodies to illnesses they have never actually encountered. That way, if the body then encounters one of these serious illnesses, it will be more likely to fend off that illness.

Vaccines also confer protection to the community through a phenomenon called the “herd immunity”. If enough people are immunized against a particular illness, then the rate of disease is lower for everyone in the community, including those who are not immunized. However, when a vaccine preventable disease strikes a community, those who are not immunized will be affected first.

In addition to the standard vaccines, Cherubs may also be eligible for a vaccine against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), a serious viral lung infection that affects mainly infants during the winter months every year. RSV can produce symptoms ranging from a mild cold all the way to respiratory distress. The RSV vaccine is expensive and is given monthly during “RSV season”. I encourage you to ask your child’s health care provider about the RSV vaccine to see if your child is eligible.

The safety of vaccines and the child’s ability to handle several vaccines at a young age is occasionally questioned by my patients. Many brilliant scientists have spent their careers researching vaccines and the body’s immune system, ensuring that vaccines are safe and effective. Vaccines go through rigorous pre-marketing studies, and are constantly monitored for safety, even after the vaccines are released. Data on vaccine safety and effectiveness is presented to a CDC committee for review 3 times a year. The CDC committee then makes recommendations, which are then adopted by such respected organizations as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).

In the past, there have been several misstatements about vaccines, the most famous of which was made by Dr. Andrew Wakefield, a British physician. His 1998 Lancet paper stating that the MMR vaccine was the cause of autism led to an increase in child fatalities from a vaccine preventable illness (Measles) because many parents stopped immunizing their children against MMR after hearing about Dr. Wakefield’s paper. Legitimate research into a possible link between the MMR vaccine and autism has repeatedly failed to show a causal relationship. Dr. Wakefield’s work has subsequently been disavowed and he was convicted of fraud. Dr. Wakefield’s motive for creating the stir about the MMR vaccine appears to have been purely financial.

As a parent of a Cherub, as well as a pediatric health care provider, I urge everyone to protect their Cherubs to the fullest by immunizing them on the recommended immunization schedule and being a vaccine advocate among your friends. Both of my children received all of their immunizations per the recommended schedule. In general, unless there is a true allergy to a vaccine or vaccine component (or another extenuating circumstance), Cherubs can and should receive all vaccines according to the recommended schedule (this includes the flu vaccine as well). Vaccines are among the most important advances in health care, and vaccines have saved countless lives.

I am looking forward to hearing your comments, thoughts, and questions on vaccines/immunizations this week on the Cherubs forum.

[Dawn Torrence Ireland]

Thank you so much for being here and doing this, Chris, we really appreciate it!

[ChrisBarry]

Glad to be here! If anyone has questions or comments, fire away. If I don't know the answer, I will try to find the answer for you!

Thank you so much for being here and doing this, Chris, we really appreciate it!

[mslarrison]

What is the difference between DTP, DTaP and Tdap?

[Chris and TracyMeats]

If your child is on a steroid treatment, is the chickenpox (Varicella) and MMR vaccinations safe?

[christinastembler]

RSV Shots, with what information can a parent approach an Insurance Company to better the possibility of Qualification after 2nd year of life?

[ChrisBarry]

Hi,
D=Diphtheria (a type of throat infection)
P=Pertussis (whooping cough)
(aP=acellular pertussis)
T=Tetanus (lockjaw)

Thanks for the first question! All 3 vaccines contain protect against all 3 (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis). The only difference is the amount of each component in the particular vaccine. Whether you or your child gets DTaP or Tdap depends mainly on the age.

Pertussis is whooping cough, which has made a resurgence lately. We used to use DTP, which was whole cell pertussis. DTP caused a lot of high fevers, which the more purified DTaP does not. DTP is not used any more because of the more favorable side effect profile of DTaP. Did you know that pregnant women are now recommended to receive the Tdap vaccine with EACH pregnancy? This is a new recommendation. Also, caregivers of infants, such as parents and grandparents should receive the Tdap vaccine.

What is the difference between DTP, DTaP and Tdap?

[ChrisBarry]

Great question. In general, if your child is on a SHORT duration steroid treatment (2 weeks or less), then it is perfectly fine to receive Varicella and MMR (both live) vaccines. If your child is on a longer term steroid treatment, you should wait at least 3 months to receive a live vaccine like MMR or varicella.

If your child is on a steroid treatment, is the chickenpox (Varicella) and MMR vaccinations safe?

[Dawn Torrence Ireland]

Chris, what about the cherubs who are on long-term steroids like Albuterol?