Posted: 5/1/2006 5:11:38 AM EDT
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Mumps is going around the area. I think I may have it. I have a swollen and tender bump (gland?) just in front of my left ear. My face feels swollen - especially back around where the jaw hinges. Visually it is only slightly swollen. I remember having mumps as a kid in one jaw. Don't remember which one. Isn't that enough for immunity? I did not receive the second dose of vaccine (maybe not the first either). I had allergic reactions to the serum they used in vaccine making in those days. Is this possible? No fever or other symptoms though I did have some kind of virus that ended about 10 days ago that lasted about week. I would appreciate any feedback from the docs or those that stayed at a Holiday Inn last night. Going to see my doctor today. I'm more worried about giving it to others (kids, wife, co-workers) than having it if that is what it is. Bob |
The MMR schedule calls for one shot at 12-15 months and another at 4-6 years. But no vaccination is 100% effective. Some people don't get a good immunity after the shot. The only real way to tell is have blood work done to check the tidors (sp?). |
You tend to get what is called herd immunity. If you are the only donkey in your herd that isnt immune but the rest of the donkeys have it. You wont get it either because there is no one to give it to you. If you however go visit the zebra herd across the street then all bets are off. |
And who wouldn't want some sweet zebra lovin'? 
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Well, my doc, like you, thought it highly unlikely. He said it was probably one (and he said which one) of the lymph glands infected next to my ear. Probably came in through my nose. BUT, he wasn't totally sure so he had them suck of some of my blood to check. I asked him if it was more scientific curiousity since even if it is mumps they would be pretty much over by the time the results come in and there is no treatment other than time anyway. He said yes. He said that in the recent outbreak (mostly Omish in Iowa) that the adult symptoms have not consistently followed the typical symptoms of the disease. He mentioned the herd concept and how that worked. He also said that about 5% of adults who had the vaccine are not protected any longer and the herd thing protects them, too. Got some antibiotics. Said he would let me know how the test came out. The gland by my ear is much less sore and swollen than it was 24 hours ago, but he jaw area still feels funny. For those in the survival forum the old test to see if it is mumps vs. a bad tooth (or something else) is to eat a pickle or suck on a lemon. Apparently, it causes severe pain if you have mumps. I tried it. I could feel maybe a little tightening in the jaw hinge area, but nothing remotely severe. My doc explains everything in great detail, which I like. About 5 more years of visits and I'll be ready for my residency.
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Yada yada yada, complain to me about the cost of kibble, go right ahead. 
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The best immunity you can have is post infection. IOW immunity resulting from immunization is almost never as good. If you truly had Mumps as a child you should be immune but that is not perfect and rarely some do get such viral infections more than once. We will also see what comes about from studies of the virus. In any event a secondary case will often be less severe. It could definitely be just a lymph node from a recent viral or ongoing bacterial infection as well. The herd immunity bit is all fine and dandy until the herd is no longer sufficeintly immune to prevent the spread of the infectious agent under discussion. In the case of immunization that all falls apart when enough individuals are no longer vaccinated that it allows the virus to spread thru the population. The idea is that if almost everyone is immune then those who are not are protected as well because there is no one to pass it on to them. Now, as those being vaccinated are diminishing in numbers for largely ridiculous and stupid reasons, the virus can again spread through the population. Personally, I think we are better off not being vaccinated for some things. As a herd at least. However some things are pretty dangerous and we should be. That is MO. I expect that at some point in the future we may need to be vaccinated for TB considering how things are going in this country but that is another topic. One of my concerns about vaccination is that I am unconvinced it is not playing a part in all of the allergies and asthma cases these days. Far more than in the past. More sutdy is required on that IMO though the crap about autism and some of the shit spewed by whackos like smothering.com are nothing but the blatherings of the ignorant. |
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You are absolutely correct. Thats why smallpox is so dangerous. We have abolished it and it only exists in labs and isolated pockets in the world. No one is getting immunized for it and no one is naturally getting it and immune from it. Weaponized smallpox then can devastate a population. Basically we would have our pants down and not enough resources and medicine to treat those effected. |
Smallpox vaccination should be farking manditory, I could care less for the dumbasses who whine that about 1% to 5% will have some will have bad complications from the vaccine. Compared to the fact that 1-in-3 will die from a smallpox infection, another third are seriously scared or blinded, and that the disease spreads unbelievably quick. |
+1 We should all be vaccinated. I'll take my chances on complications. Last I heard, though, only certain people can get it. |
Yeah, smallpox would be a worldwide disaster of the first order. I know people are worried about Avian Flu, and with good reason IMO, but that would look like a picnic compared to smallpox. At least those of us who have been vaccinated as kids could be expected to have partial immunity at this point. |
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I really don't see the big deal with mumps. We all had it (all us old farts anyway) as kids and I don't remember anyone dying from it. I know if you are old when you get it, it is bad for your family jewels, but I don't see any reason to vaccinate kids for it. Same goes for measles. I believe it would be better for my kids to contract those than to get vaccinated. Rubella, otoh, is pretty damn uncomfortable and should probably be vaccinated for. Wish they made just a whooping cough vaccine. |
No most of us never had it. Most of us has had the MMR in school. Its much more severe in adults then kids. |
And that's the double edged sword with discontinuing childhood immunizations. You would end up with a large population of adults getting childhood viral illnesses that are likely to be more severe. It is something of a Catch 22 at this point. |