Mumps

bnt

I'm presuming everyone got that email from UCD Student Health Services this morning, about the two students who contracted Mumps at UCD. This is after some cases at Limerick and Maynooth. It's happened before, and around them same time of year too.

At the risk of asking the obvious: why are there students at university who have not had the MMR vaccination and booster? It's normal practice pretty much everywhere in the world. It can't be because of the bogus MMR vaccine -> autism scare, which was after 1998. According to DoHC advice, everyone under 22 should be vaccinated against Meningitis C too: details.

Breezer

The MMR vaccine was only introduced in 1988 so it's very possible that many students in UCD never got it. It's not 100% effective either, around 95%, and uptake rates have been less than ideal. You'd be amazed at the amount of parents who 'don't like needles.' Add to that the large amount of international students in UCD who may never have had the vaccine either.

Stepherunie

To be fair, it's one thing the Health Service are great at.

In 04/05 there was another big mumps scare and the Health Centre set up clinics in the Arts Block to get people vaccinated.

It's no big deal to get another booster even if you've had your three shots of it.

I think the fact that we get so many cases, with at least one case every year is testament to how few people actually have been fully vaccinated.

The_Minister

I never got it as a child OP. I chose not to. (admittedly I was young, so that involved hiding under a chair, but there you go).

Breezer

Forgot to mention that in order to ensure protection you need a booster at around age 4 to 5, or alternatively at 11 or 12, so for most UCD students the latter case would've been right around the time of the autism scare.

Yes, I'm studying a lecture on immunisation and decided to share. Anyone wanna know any other immunisation schedules? BCG, Meningococcal C, Hib, I've got em all :rolleyes:

Steve.Pseudonym

Oh great, just great, I've come down with something today and now I'm going to be paranoid until I can get to a doctor tomorrow. I had the MMR and one of my housemates was sick recently so it's probably just what she had, but shít all the same.

Bah.

snickerpuss

I did get the MMR as a child but when I went for a medical for my job it turned out I was no longer protected from mumps or measles.
My doctor told me not to bother getting the booster though. So it does wear off! And I was only 19 at the time.

Breezer

Yep, that's why we have boosters. Seems strange that your doctor would've said that but I'm sure he/she knew what he/she was on about. There are valid reasons not to give it, say if you're pregnant because it could end up actually infecting the baby, or if your immune system is suppressed for any reason in which case it could infect you. Dunno if either of those applied in your case!

Dave!

I dunno if I've had the vaccine..... Is it the 3 holes on your arm that most people have? Obviously where the needles went

snickerpuss

Breezer wrote: »

Yep, that's why we have boosters. Seems strange that your doctor would've said that but I'm sure he/she knew what he/she was on about. There are valid reasons not to give it, say if you're pregnant because it could end up actually infecting the baby, or if your immune system is suppressed for any reason in which case it could infect you. Dunno if either of those applied in your case!

Nope, he just said that it's unlikely to get mumps or measles (except in ucd apparently) as adults and that they weren't as serious in adults or some such (it was 2 years ago so the oul memory is a bit hazy) I do have some weird medical allergies but I don't think they'd have stopped him since I got it first time around.
Anyway I never seem to be in college so I'm not too worried about it.

lizzyvera

Does anyone else remember seeing those cartoons against vaccines (which prevented HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of deaths) in the junior cert history books, where people were turning into diseased cows, and laughing at how irrational and ignorant people used to be?

And there are still people who won't give their children MMR!

I think it should be illegal to stop your child getting it, because it's the reason the diseases haven't been eradicated and it is selfish, ungrateful and uninformed.

Breezer

snickerpuss wrote: »

Nope, he just said that it's unlikely to get mumps or measles (except in ucd apparently) as adults and that they weren't as serious in adults or some such

True, they're known as the 'childhood fevers' and they're much less severe in adults (unless you're pregnant) although I'd still rather not get them myself!

I think it should be illegal to stop your child getting it, because it's the reason the diseases haven't been eradicated and it is selfish, ungrateful and uninformed.

It's easy to say that but it's a very complex issue, you only have to look at the recent case of the unborn Jehova's Witness twins whose parents had to be taken to court to allow a life-saving blood transfusion be given to the babies after birth. We have a right to refuse treatment and while you're under 18 that right currently rests with your parents; I'd imagine it would raise all sorts of ethical problems if that right were given to the State or even a panel of medical experts on anything other than a case-by-case basis. My mother spent the first four years of my life telling multiple doctors that I had asthma before they eventually diagnosed it when I nearly died from pneumonia that arose as a complication of it.

And there are risks involved with vaccinations. In the vast majority of cases the benefits hugely outweigh them, but they are there.

DaveMcG wrote: »

I dunno if I've had the vaccine..... Is it the 3 holes on your arm that most people have? Obviously where the needles went

Probably, but if you're concerned you can get a blood test for immunity. Your parents might have a medical record book from when you were a child if you ask them.

:|

Breezer wrote: »

Forgot to mention that in order to ensure protection you need a booster at around age 4 to 5, or alternatively at 11 or 12, so for most UCD students the latter case would've been right around the time of the autism scare.

Yes, I'm studying a lecture on immunisation and decided to share. Anyone wanna know any other immunisation schedules? BCG, Meningococcal C, Hib, I've got em all :rolleyes:

smell of medicine nerd in here is ridiculous:pac::pac:

Breezer

I agree. Anything to avoid study though. And technically this is helping me so it's guilt-free study avoidance!

EamonnKeane

Breezer wrote: »

We have a right to refuse treatment and while you're under 18 that right currently rests with your parents; I'd imagine it would raise all sorts of ethical problems if that right were given to the State or even a panel of medical experts on anything other than a case-by-case basis.

But if you refuse vaccination you're putting others at risk. Farmers are fined huge sums if ragwort is found in their fields (Noxious Weeds Act 1936), because it's poisonous to livestock. A farmer can't just say "My animals, my loss", because he's allowing the seeds spread to his neighbours and on across the land. Why can't the same logic apply to vaccines?

Breezer

Because animals, fields and people are very different; people have a right to decide what happens to their bodies. You're not putting anyone at risk if they themselves have chosen to take the vaccine. Don't get me wrong, I think people are mad to refuse it, and especially to refuse it to their children, unless they're in a high risk group. But I respect their right to choose.

Canadians are routinely vaccinated against chicken pox. Irish people aren't. Are we putting Canadians at risk if we travel there?

passive

wrote: »

smell of medicine nerd in here is ridiculous:pac::pac:

Go back to the DCU forum!

And mwahaha... You guys can fall victim to a Mumps-Zombie plague all you want! I'm safe over here in my little fort..

Sangre

pretty sure i have it, not even in college anymore. its gutting.

slevins

Breezer wrote: »

The MMR vaccine was only introduced in 1988 so it's very possible that many students in UCD never got it. It's not 100% effective either, around 95%, and uptake rates have been less than ideal. You'd be amazed at the amount of parents who 'don't like needles.' Add to that the large amount of international students in UCD who may never have had the vaccine either.

Is that the thing with those 3 filthy scars on your left arm?

Breezer

slevins wrote: »

Is that the thing with those 3 filthy scars on your left arm?

Yep. Better than infected testicles though

Pythia

Sangre wrote: »

pretty sure i have it, not even in college anymore. its gutting.

You have mumps? Eek.

Blut

Sangre wrote: »

pretty sure i have it, not even in college anymore. its gutting.

finally, proof that coppers leads directly to sterility

slevins

Breezer wrote: »

Yep. Better than infected testicles though

I don't have them!! EEK!! I lived in the UK when they were doing them in Ireland... What other ways can you get them?

Stepherunie

Pop into the health centre, they'll give them to you no hassle.

slevins

Stepherunie wrote: »

Pop into the health centre, they'll give them to you no hassle.

Ahh I was just doing it to create a bit of convo, I definately got them.

Breezer

slevins wrote: »

I don't have them!! EEK!! I lived in the UK when they were doing them in Ireland... What other ways can you get them?

Mumps, the vaccination or infected testicles?

slevins

Breezer wrote: »

Mumps, the vaccination or infected testicles?

:DAll but the vaccine:D

Sangre

This is probably the worst illness I've ever had. I'm in absolute agony, can't sleep or eat at all. On the plus side I know what my face would look like if I gained 5 stone.

I think it should be illegal to stop your child getting it, because it's the reason the diseases haven't been eradicated and it is selfish, ungrateful and uninformed.

Will never happen, it would be unconstitutional (PKU Test case)

Pythia

I got some kind of reaction to the mumps vaccine. My hands and feet swelled up, horrible.

Did you get the mumps shot?

popecatapetal

Actually, the three dents on your arm (or two if you're from some healthboard regions) is the scarring from the BCG immunisation, against tuberculosis. The reason I know this is that I had it in January (the southern healthboard wasn't using it in my day, as there was some doubts over its effectiveness).

They inject the vaccine into the epidermis, very shallowly, and it takes AGES to heal - I've still got yucky red blisters where it was done. Once it heals, the scars will make the little dents that everyone has, but until then, I'll be wearing long sleeves all summer.

Stepherunie

popecatapetal wrote: »

Actually, the three dents on your arm (or two if you're from some healthboard regions) is the scarring from the BCG immunisation, against tuberculosis. The reason I know this is that I had it in January (the southern healthboard wasn't using it in my day, as there was some doubts over its effectiveness).

They inject the vaccine into the epidermis, very shallowly, and it takes AGES to heal - I've still got yucky red blisters where it was done. Once it heals, the scars will make the little dents that everyone has, but until then, I'll be wearing long sleeves all summer.

Takes over the 6 months they say too I'm afraid. I have mine done a year and a half (cork sucks for not doing in paeds) and mine took a good year to calm down.

It may not necessarily dent either. Mine are two little pink marks on my arm (though they're probably worse than dents). Couldn't sleep on my arm for 3 months either.

The Southern Healthboard actually didn't do them too because it was cheaper to treat the cases that appeared rather than vaccinate everyone. However with the recent upsurge in cases due to changing demographics in Ireland this policy was reversed and as of last October all children in Cork are now vaccinated.