Measles exposure signalled at clinics
A woman with measles visited two Montreal clinics recently, so there’s a warning out about the disease. This piece notes that Canada eradicated measles by 1998, but that it’s been coming back, carried by visitors from elsewhere and given a chance by parents who refuse to vaccinate their kids.
Ephraim 10:27 on 2019-02-06 Permalink
In case people don’t know, measles is 90% contagious and by air, meaning that if a contagious person is in the room with 10 non-vaccinated people, 9 of them will leave with measles. It was lethal at the rate of 1 in 1000 people until we got enough people in the vaccinated herd. It was almost entirely gone in the Americas in 2005… down to 66 reported case is ALL of the Americas, but because of anti-vaxxers, we are now over 20,000 cases per year.
And if you want a good example of how well herd immunity works, see https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/11/9/18068036/measles-new-york-orthodox-jewish-community-vaccines The members of the same community in Montreal do get vaccinated and it did not transfer to Montreal although people were exposed.
The rate of serious complication and/or death from MMR is 1 in 1,000,000 rather than a death rate of 1 in 1,000 for measles.
jeather 10:44 on 2019-02-06 Permalink
Also you CAN get vaccinated for the MMR before 12 months, but it doesn’t give lasting immunity so you still need the two shot sequence. And they’ll just give you another MMR at a CLSC pretty much on request, if you’re concerned. (There’s no harm in it if your titers are high enough.) I only had one shot as a kid, so got another as an adult.
And a reminder that the vaccine-autism link was made up by someone who had a financial stake in this result. Not only was it not reproducible, it was completely fraudulent: he falsified data.
EmilyG 11:34 on 2019-02-06 Permalink
It’s true – Vaccines don’t cause autism. I myself am autistic, and I say – for goodness sake, vaccinate your children.
Being autistic can be challenging, but it’s not like having a dangerous (and preventable) disease. And if you don’t vaccinate your children because you’re scared of autism, does that mean that you’d rather have a very sick child than a child like me? Because that’s disturbing.
Kate 15:47 on 2019-02-06 Permalink
jeather, you sound like you know a bit about this. I had measles as a small kid, never knowingly had mumps or rubella. I think the only vaccinations I’ve had were smallpox (I’m like eleventy-one years old) and at some point tetanus (too long ago to be useful).
Should I go get MMR or any other shot?
jeather 16:06 on 2019-02-06 Permalink
You should definitely get your tetanus updated, especially as you own a cat. (Cat teeth being needle-like, they can poke crap down in and you don’t bleed them out.) You’re fine for measles. If you’re born before 57, you’re assumed to be immune to the other two. It can’t hurt to get them. But I’d absolutely prioritise tetanus (which will likely include diphtheria and pertussis). Your CLSC is more likely to provide them than your GP, you can go for tetanus and ask them about MMR while you’re there.
Ephraim 17:20 on 2019-02-06 Permalink
Kate, if you aren’t sure, you can always get MMR. Even having had mumps doesn’t guarantee immunity. And if you didn’t have Polio, is available as an adult as well, but usually only needed if you are travelling near Afghanistan, Pakistan or Nigeria (or countries that border them). Some vaccinations in Quebec are routinely given based on risk, so I have had Hep A & B, Pneumonia and Flu shots, if you aren’t in an at-risk group, they charge for them. Tetanus and diphtheria (TD or Tdap) are every 10 years and always free. The shingles vaccine isn’t free, but only suggested over 60.
Kevin 18:24 on 2019-02-06 Permalink
The CDC recommends a shingles vaccine at age 50. (60 was the old suggestion) It can be a pricy one, but shingles is worse.
Here is the list of what Quebec reccomends: https://www.quebec.ca/en/health/advice-and-prevention/vaccination/quebec-immunisation-program/
Many of these are combos, like MMR and DTAP.
And your family doctor should know what vaccines you’ve had, if you don’t have a list.
Whenever you book your next appt be sure to tell the receptionist that you want to update your vaccinations. This generally makes the visit go smoother.
Kate 20:21 on 2019-02-06 Permalink
your family doctor should know what vaccines you’ve had
In a world where you have the same doctor all your life, maybe.
Ephraim 22:14 on 2019-02-06 Permalink
Kate – In a world where you have a family doctor…. I’m on year 3 of waiting to get one after my previous one got fired for being incompetent (he sat on a report recommending that I see a specialist for about 5 months.)
dhomas 06:09 on 2019-02-07 Permalink
@Ephraim: If I can make a recommendation, I would say to go out and call some practices to see if they’ll accept new patients for family doctors. I got tired of waiting for a doctor after registering by phone (the online registration wasn’t a thing yet, IIRC), so is started calling around. I finally found one that would accept me and my family. The clinic is not right next door (about a 25-minute metro ride away), but at least I’ve got one. I had been waiting on the list for several years already before I took matters into my own hands. I remember telling the attendant that my wife was pregnant at the time so we needed a doctor ASAP and being told that “there are people in much more urgent situations than yours”.
Tee Owe 06:15 on 2019-02-07 Permalink
Back up for Kevin on the shingles advice – this is not something you want to get, I speak from experience – and I believe the new vaccines are very effective. You’re OK for measles and smallpox, but you might consider a polio booster, this one never went away unfortunately and pops back up from time to time. Can also say that adult mumps is a truly miserable experience so for that reason alone MMR could be a good idea.
Kate 08:06 on 2019-02-07 Permalink
jeather, by the way, my cat is a sweetheart and has never bitten or scratched me.
Thanks all for good advice.
jeather 11:59 on 2019-02-07 Permalink
Oh, sure, it’s very rare for a nice tame domestic cat to bite — I’ve only had bites when socialising a cat, not even when moving an injured cat. But I’d still do it on a better safe than sorry basis, especially if you get back to fostering.
Canadian 12:11 on 2019-02-07 Permalink
I had only one measles vaccination as a child (in the 70s in another province) and I ended up getting measles as an adult (following a trip to Europe about 7 or 8 years ago).
Is a shingles vaccination effective if you’ve had chicken pox?
dwgs 12:13 on 2019-02-07 Permalink
Step on a rusty nail? Get nicked by a piece of metal? Tetanus also is carried in soil, dust, and manure. A shot is good for ten years I believe, go get one.
Tee Owe 12:22 on 2019-02-07 Permalink
Canadian – the way I understand it, you get shingles as an older person (not so old) because of reactivation of the chicken pox virus. Also as I understand it, there is a new -ish vaccine that’s effective against shingles in older folks. But I’m not a doctor this what I read maybe someone can correct me. I had shingles once, awful!
Kevin 12:45 on 2019-02-07 Permalink
@Kate
This is part of what’s been promised and is finally happening with electronic records.
My wife M.D. Ph. D uses them at work and is pushing all her patients to apply.
The link : https://carnetsante.gouv.qc.ca/portail
jeather 13:20 on 2019-02-07 Permalink
I signed up for that, it does not have all my vaccines in it.
You should get a tetanus booster every 10 years but if you get a risky cut after 5 they usually just give you a booster again.