Our school is currently offering a booster against Diphtheria/Tetanus (injection), and Polio (drops). However, I’m not sure if I really want these.
Last year we were given a BCG, and the NHS delayed this DTP protection till now because they thought it was higher priority. But from what I know now, the BCG is not very effective, and nor was I at much risk from TB anyway. Knowing this, I’m not so sure if I really need these new vaccines, as it is less important than the BCG. I especially doubt the polio drops are necessary because the world health organisation thinks it will be irradicated within a few years.
Also, the side effects to the BCG were worse than advertised (i.e., extremely painful if bumped into for months), and http://www.immunisation.org.uk/ is telling me that “A hard lump may appear in the same place, but this usually goes after a few weeks.”, and based on past experience this is most likely an understatement.
So basically, I don’t want another scab from another injection unless it’s really neccessary, and my protection against these diseases would last much longer (these are boosters). I’m a mid-teenager, and living in the UK, if that helps anyone who knows the risk I’m at from these viruses.
Anyone know what risk I really am at? (I don’t trust above site as it is pro-immunisation-slanted). Is it really worthwhile taking the vaccines? Are the side effects really that bad? etc etc. Thanks in advance for your info.
How long was it since your last tetanus shot? Lately (from what they told me in the microbiology class) the time between one booster shot and another was reduced from 10 years to 5. If you (or your parents) remember a tetanus booster shot between 5 years ago, I would say not take the shot until later.
I had the Tetanus/Diphtheria polio jab and drops when I was at school at about 15. The jab is no worse that an ordinary injection, I felt a bit knackered that evening and for a couple of days afterwards but I have a phobia of injections and fainted so it was more probably due to that than any side affects.
Part of the reason that you need to get this done is to prevent the spread of these illnesses, although they are rare they are very nasty, Diphtheria can leave you with permanent paralasys in extreme cases.
Get them done.
Diphtheria is a nasty disease that can kill people. It has become extremely rare in industrialized countries because it is part of the routine immunization schedule. However, if enough people eschew diphtheria vaccine, diphtheria will return as it did in parts of the former Soviet Union in the 1990s when diphtheria immunization levels got to be too low to protect the population.
You do not need to get a tetanus shot to prevent the spread of tetanus; the bacilli live in the soil all over the world. You need a tetanus shot so that you don’t get tetanus (lockjaw) when you suffer a wound contaminated with Clostridium tetani spores. If you don’t have any injuries, you don’t need a booster more often than ten (not five) years. If you do have an injury, you should have a booster if your last booster was more than five years ago.
Polio is still around and still kills people and makes other lame. Even if it is eradicated from the wild in the next few years (which looks increasingly unlikely) it will take a brave government to recommend ceasing routine vaccination because polio would be a very effective terrorist weapon if used against an unvaccinated population.
Against all these, you have to consider the side effects of the vaccines which are either negligible (e.g. sore arm for a day or two from diphtheria/tetanus) or extremely rare (paralytic disease from oral polio vaccine).