Can my non-vaxed kids get sick from vaxed kids?!
Question: my doctor told me to keep my kids away from freshly vaxed kids for 24-72 hours.
why?
I watch a little boy who was vaxed yesterday and I'm curious as to the reasoning...can vaxed kids spread the disease they were vaxed against?
I thought that was only if "live" vaccines were used...i don't believe we use live vaccines in the USA.
*curious*
Answers: my doctor told me to keep my kids away from freshly vaxed kids for 24-72 hours.
why?
I watch a little boy who was vaxed yesterday and I'm curious as to the reasoning...can vaxed kids spread the disease they were vaxed against?
I thought that was only if "live" vaccines were used...i don't believe we use live vaccines in the USA.
*curious*
it is only with live vaccines, but many of our vaccines are live viruses that have been altered to be less infectious and reproduce much slower than the natural virus. so the risk of infection is very low, but it is possible and since we vaccinate against dangerous infections it would just be a good idea to be extra cautious and do what the doctor said.
It's much more likely your unvaccinated kids will get vaccinated kids sick. Vaccination relies on a phenomenon called herd immunity. If you vaccinate the whole population, even if some dont mount a good antibody response and aren't immune, then basically you destroy the virus' reservoir and prevent outbreaks. If many people remain unvaccinated, the disease continues to spread among them and get people sick.
In my own opinion it is highly irresponsible not to get your children vaccinated. I am assuming that you are doing this electively, not that you are merely waiting for your children to reach the appropriate age for vaccination. Infectious diseases which have the potential to be nearly completely eradicated are making an insurgence because parents chose not to vaccinate their children.
Live vaccines are much more effective at protecting against diseases than other forms, and while they have their drawbacks (most notably the fact that they require specialized storage) they are still used in the United States. Live vaccines have an very small chance of mutating into a harmful strain, your doctor is probably worried about this. However the chances of this happening are slim to none. Chances are much greater that your children will catch a rare, but preventable disease, due to the fact that you opted out of vaccination.
Vaccinations do not offer 100% protection. Your kids are vulnerable to diseases that "vaxed" kids have immunity to. However, it is important to remember that the vast majority of infectious diseases are caused by living agents--capable of evolution. If your kids caught a diseases there is a good chance that it could evolve to a strain capable of infecting vaxed kids--or infect children whom cannot be vaccinated due to problems with their immune system or just because they are too young to receive vaccinations.