Poll: Your Original Antigenic Sin (Early Childhood Infections)

[nerd]

In case you aren't aware of the concept of the Original Antigenic Sin, it's based on evidence how the immune system shapes based on the first childhood infections and that this dominates our lifelong immunity. So there isn't really a scientific consensus yet if this is something positive or negative to our immunity because there isn't really a human control to check if people without any infections turn out with "better" immune systems.

In general, I don't like the generalization of the immune system into "strong" and "weak" at all. While we might be equipped better for one pathogen, we might become more susceptible to another.

Regardless, this poll isn't about any infections, but about typical severe early childhood infections for which vaccines are often available.

I know that this is difficult to answer because it's usually our parents who would need to be aware of it at the time and tell us later. Unless you remember, of course.

 

[rel8ted]

Persistent strep. Almost every year until age 12.

 

[Pyrrhus]

Just to clarify:

The Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) causes both Chickenpox (AKA Varicella) as well as Shingles (AKA Herpes Zoster). Most cases of re-activated VZV (AKA Shingles) are subclinical and do not produce the characteristic rash.

Hope this helps.

 

[Rebeccare]

Regardless, this poll isn't about any infections, but about typical severe early childhood infections for which vaccines are often available.

Are these the only sort of infections that are believed to make a difference? For example, I had a serious kidney infection when I was a child, which was very unlikely to have been caused by any of these.

 

[nerd]

Are these the only sort of infections that are believed to make a difference? For example, I had a serious kidney infection when I was a child, which was very unlikely to have been caused by any of these.

No, these are just typical early childhood infections.

 

[Judee]

My Mother also said I had Rubella at one point but I'm not sure how she knew that except for the rash and fever.

Maybe it was just going around but with my age, I would have thought I would have been vaccinated for that.

I don't remember a lot of shots when I was a child but I do remember some plus that little sugar cube for Polio.

 

[belize44]

I had three of the major childhood illnesses for my generation; measles, mumps, and chicken pox. I was always sick longer than my siblings, if that helps.

 

[Strawberry]

Chronic tonsillitis, strep and earache until I had my tonsils removed in my 30s. Then I swear I still was getting tonsillitis in my mid 40s.

I’ve also had warts since about age 10. Doctors always said I’d grow out of them. Nope, 54 and still have em. I’ve always wondered about that connection. Why I never outgrew them.

Also tested positive for tb around age 10, clear exrays though but I was on antibiotics for 12 or 18 months. I’ve also wondered about that connection, too.

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

No mention in your list of mononucleosis (EBV), which swept thru my school when I was 8 ..... took me down for about 2 months ....

 

[Rufous McKinney]

which swept thru my school when I was 8

10 here, and no, JUST ME with the "kissing disease". The constantly strep (probably) tonsils left then.

I had even more weird things than listed there at 5. I should just never have gone to germ infested schools.

But then I"d have literally never left the bedroom what with my Mom.....not letting me do things with the Other Children.

 

[xebex]

Chickenpox and measles for me but I also had some kind of recurrent chest infection that I never got treated because it would always go away after a few weeks but it happened yearly. Once I got ME I never had another chest infection. I also had a severe sore throat as a teen where I lost my voice and it also happened a couple of times before I got ME and never had it since. It could have been strep but again it went away so didn’t get treated.

I'd like to point out though that chickenpox is a fairly recent vaccination so the older you are the more likely it is that you had it, not really sure it's going to show any causation.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

I also had some kind of recurrent chest infection t

I was frequently succumbing to horrible respiratory infections, too. My poor older brother.

I spent alot of time, in my bedroom with the Vaporizer running.

 

[nerd]

Chickenpox and measles for me but I also had some kind of recurrent chest infection that I never got treated because it would always go away after a few weeks but it happened yearly.

What kind of "chest infection" do you mean? How did it manifest?

I'd like to point out though that chickenpox is a fairly recent vaccination so the older you are the more likely it is that you had it, not really sure it's going to show any causation.

Just like this, it will even be difficult to determine a statistical difference to an average population. In my view, it seems higher than what I would expect for a mixed generation population. I would have to do a follow-up to get more insight, e.g. if there are any patients who certainly didn't have symptomatic chickenpox or who had the vaccination soon enough. After all, I can not expect everyone to know or remember if they had symptomatic chickenpox as an early child. If there are less than 5% who can exclude it, I'd become suspicious that there is some associating factor, possibly causal.

 

[xebex]

@nerd every winter I’d get a horrible hacking chest cough with lots of green mucus and snot, I was one of those snotty kids, but it would only last 6 weeks or so and like clock work would clear up and I’d be totally healthy the rest of the year. We never bothered with antibiotics because we knew it would always clear up. I’ve never had antibiotics to this day.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

We never bothered with antibiotics because we knew it would always clear up. I’ve never had antibiotics to this day.

its frustrating here as I have no recall as to being given antibiotics. I think I was not given them very often.

My parents were sending me back to school at 13, I'd been home for a month with mono and a high fever- I recall saying: but I still have a fever. So at that stage they took me to the doctor who said I had pneumonia.

I think my parents got very very tired of having a sick kid.

 

[Jadzhia]

I had both measles (at 5) and chickenpox (at 10) as there were no vaccines against those when I was a kid. I also had tonsillitus a fair bit. Recall having some nasty-tasting white pills for that - I guess those were antibiotics? Also was sick with colds a lot and I expect I had flu as well, as I've had that several times during my life.

 

[Thehealthofholly]

In addition to strep and chicken pox, I had mono twice, constant ear infections, walking pneumonia, a few bouts of food poisoning, and lots of tonsillitis.

interestingly enough I never had the flu until the vaccine. I had to get the vaccine 4 times due to school/work requirements and each time I was sick for longer (the first a few days, the most recent a month and a half).

 

[Shanti1]

Bad mono in 6th grade and EBV seems to be my main viral nemesis now. Any reason it's not one of the options?

 

[SWAlexander]

All I remember is mononucleosis, herpes and many times ear infections left site only.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

I had a really bad case of impetigo.....at FIVE.

I missed most of kindergarten sick with everything.

but I remember that, it was horrible the symptoms were very intense, far more extreme than some itchy spot by. your nose. It was covering much of my body.

They likely gave me antibiotics for SURE, if I had impetigo. So this is actually my first pinning down the likelihood of antibiotics, early.

I really wish I could have gotten this out of my mother. There are numerous questions I can't ask her and failed to, when I had the chance.