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Mumps booster?

Strawberry

Senior Member
Messages
2,107
Location
Seattle, WA USA
There is a mumps outbreak in Hawaii, some are students at the University of Hawaii Manoa where my daughter attends school. I will be there in two weeks. (YAY!) Should I get a booster? Or is it worth risking contamination? Which is riskier? The booster shot, or the illness?

Thanks in advance...
 

TenuousGrip

Senior Member
Messages
297
Which is riskier? The booster shot, or the illness?

That's the $64,000 question, isn't it ?

And, to be perfectly honest, nobody knows. Not at an individual level.

If it were me (and it has been at other times), I'd just go with my gut.

Docs could probably talk to you about "odds," but that's like telling you the odds that the next card off the top of the deck will be a three of clubs. Odds are interesting but, at that level, they really don't tell you much that's useful. Throw ME/CFS into the mix and the odds are pretty near useless.

Weren't you a lot healthier and less symptomatic in Hawaii ?? I could see some logic for that happening again ... making me think long and hard about not risking a vaccine.

Good luck with the decision and the trip !
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
It also depends on your individual situation and treatments. In my case there is a chance of being allergic to components of the vaccine. But in addition, I cannot get vaccines while getting Rituximab b/c it's not safe and they would not be effective. So I would talk to your doctor re: the pros & cons in your individual case.
 

Strawberry

Senior Member
Messages
2,107
Location
Seattle, WA USA
Weren't you a lot healthier and less symptomatic in Hawaii ?

Yes I do, but it takes about 4 days before I see a glimmer of improvement. Last time I was there for 9 days, and it was the 9th day that I went grocery shopping for one hour and didn't even bring my cane seat. 7 days in we were in manic mode cleaning, but I was still on my cane seat much of the time. I will only be there for 4 days this time, so not expecting any big gains. And all gains go out the door as soon as I get to the airport and my MCS kicks in.

My gut is saying not to worry about it. I also have an email with the same question in to Dr Kaufmans office, and I asked my daughter to ask her boss his/her thoughts (she serves ice cream...) about the booster. If her boss wants her to get it, I will get it to protect her and the store if need be.

Thank you!
 

Orla

Senior Member
Messages
708
Location
Ireland
There is a mumps outbreak in Hawaii, some are students at the University of Hawaii Manoa where my daughter attends school. I will be there in two weeks. (YAY!) Should I get a booster? Or is it worth risking contamination? Which is riskier? The booster shot, or the illness?

Thanks in advance...
Can you get an antibody test to see if you actually need a booster? I dont know how long this would take or even if it can be done.
 

barbc56

Senior Member
Messages
3,657
I can’t imagine how much worse I’d feel with mumps on top of this.

I like @Orla’s idea of antibody testing. I don’t know if this is something routinely doe by doctors or if insurance covers the shot.

If you are worried about a reaction you could always get it early before the trip.

If you need the shot and ended up getting mumps, you could spread it which is particularly problematic for males.

https://www.verywell.com/mumps-in-men-2328875

I was surprised that sterility is not as common as once thought but it does happen. You can be contagious up to three days before becoming symptomatic.

The article is quite interesting. There is a list of who does not need a mumps booster.

Good luck and have fun in Hawaii! Do you find the weather helping your symptoms?

ETA
I missed the part of your post that there’s an epidemic of months which may make a difference with your decision.
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
My MCAS doctor, who is an allergist/ immunologist has tested me on things like this before (to see if my body was able to produce immunity) but I've never done it for mumps. I'd think an immunologist would be your best bet.
 

Wishful

Senior Member
Messages
5,688
Location
Alberta
Since you're on this forum, I'm not sure whether you already have ME/CFS or not. While it looks like vaccines definitely can trigger ME/CFS, I'm not sure whether they can make it worse afterwards. Maybe post a question or poll about ME/CFS symptoms getting worse from a vaccination?

I've been telling people I know that there's a serious risk from vaccines that the doctors don't warn patients about. Also, that the latest research shows that tetanus shots are good for 60+ years, so boosters probably aren't necessary, and thus an unwarranted risk. Maybe other vaccines last longer than the companies selling them want doctors to believe.
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
Also, that the latest research shows that tetanus shots are good for 60+ years, so boosters probably aren't necessary, and thus an unwarranted risk.

@Wishful Wow, I had not heard that re: new research showing that tetanus shots are good for 60 yrs! Do you have a link for that? I would love to read it. Thanks for the info.
 

HowToEscape?

Senior Member
Messages
626
@Wishful Wow, I had not heard that re: new research showing that tetanus shots are good for 60 yrs! Do you have a link for that? I would love to read it. Thanks for the info.

Depends how much one is outside, And how badly you seem to react to a booster.

Here’s an account to someone who was never poisoned by the horrible tetanus vaccine: It hadn’t yet been invented. Seems to be a friend of the family telling the story..

“I lived on a farm, as a young girl...I remember my mother discussing a case of tetanus that the son of the farmer had contracted from a small cut caused by a rusty piece of farm equipment. The young man suffered horribly, with spasms so terrible they broke his bones and he screamed in agony in the hospital. His back muscles contracted so hard, his head was bent backward and almost touched his buttocks. This was back in the late 1950s. The hospital staff could only try to make him comfortable, but his mother said there wasn't much they could do but watch him suffer and listen, in distress, to his screams. He died a horrifying death, a young man in his early 20s.”

At the time this was written medicine also didn’t have the tetanus immunoglobulin as the 2nd chance fix. Still, I’d rather not have to rely on the emergency room bailing me out. I might be too sick to tell them what I have, i could get trucked to an incompetent 3rd rate ER (we have several in the city I live in) etc.

Source:
http://thesurvivaldoctor.com/2013/10/09/tetanus-shot/

Personally I would not take a chance that one or three studies floating around on the Internet happen to be correct and also happened to apply to my particular case. But you have to balance your personal degree of reaction to a tetanus booster with the amount of time you spend outside. If you had a horrible reaction to last time you got one and you’re stuck in bed all day then maybe you should skip it.

But most of all, never trust medical advice from social media ;-)
 
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Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
And how badly you seem to react to a booster.

My doctor has advised me not to get vaccines (even prior to my treatment) but on my current treatment, I am definitely not safe to get them.

Here’s an account to someone who was never poisoned by the horrible tetanus vaccine: It hadn’t yet been invented.

Eeek! Horrible story! :nervous:

But most of all, never trust medical advice from social media ;-)

I definitely don't make my final medical decisions based on social media/internet boards... but at the same time, there are some incredibly smart people here with a wide variety of knowledge and perspectives and it is always helpful to hear them as a starting point in my research.

BTW, @Strawberry, what did you decide re: the mumps vaccine?!
 

Wishful

Senior Member
Messages
5,688
Location
Alberta
Sorry Gingergrrl, I can't remember (brainfog, y'know) where I came across the 60 yr lifetime for the tetanus booster. I think I found it while web browsing. I didn't bother to verify it, but it seemed believable enough that I didn't feel the need to question it. Also, tetanus is treatable, if unpleasant, so it's not a severe risk of dying if you don't get a booster.
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
Sorry Gingergrrl, I can't remember (brainfog, y'know) where I came across the 60 yr lifetime for the tetanus booster. I think I found it while web browsing. I didn't bother to verify it, but it seemed believable enough that I didn't feel the need to question it. Also, tetanus is treatable, if unpleasant, so it's not a severe risk of dying if you don't get a booster.

No worries (and I will not be getting any vaccines!) but was just curious for my own knowledge.
 

Strawberry

Senior Member
Messages
2,107
Location
Seattle, WA USA
BTW, @Strawberry, what did you decide re: the mumps vaccine?!

I now doubt I will do anything about the mumps risk. I have had severe facial pain since Friday that is severe enough to keep me off the plane if I can't figure something out. My local Dr is worthless, I can't get ahold of Dr K's office via email (and don't have the strength/energy to call). My allergy doc knows a little about MCAS, so I might ask him tomorrow, but I am far more concerned with the infection/pain than the risk of either mumps or reacting to a vaccine....

Thanks for checking
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
I have had severe facial pain since Friday that is severe enough to keep me off the plane if I can't figure something out.

I am sorry to hear this @Strawberry and hoping you figure it out and are still able to go visit your daughter. Do you think it is MCAS related or something different? Is it an angiodema reaction?
 

Strawberry

Senior Member
Messages
2,107
Location
Seattle, WA USA
@Gingergrrl From what I can glean from Dr Google, I don't think it is angiodema. Although my mouth is itchy... I have no idea what this is, whether CFS or MCAS or something completely different. I get it often, and my Dr no longer even really checks me for it, so I don't intend to see him. Hoping to maybe talk to my allergist tomorrow and see if he has any ideas.