BabyLove08
Love her!
Member since 2/08 3673 total posts
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Thought I Would Share This Article I Came Across Today Re:: MMR and Chicken Pox Vaccine
06/27/2010
Seizure Risk Study Could Change How Babies Receive Vaccinations
By: Kafi Drexel
A new study from one of the nation's largest health care organizations has found that the combination vaccine that protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chicken pox may double seizure risk among infants, which could change how pediatricians administer vaccines. NY1's Health reporter Kafi Drexel filed the following report.
It may be hard for Soraya Souza to hear her 14-month-old son Christopher scream while getting his vaccinations, but she says that his getting preventable illnesses would could cause a lot more pain and heartache down the road.
"I think it's important to vaccinate my son in order to prevent diseases. I just want to keep him healthy," says Souza.
Christopher received his measles, mumps and rubella shot in one leg and the varicella (chicken pox) vaccine in another.
That two-shot approach could become the permanent gold standard for vaccinating children across the board, thanks to a new study from Kaiser Permanente funded by the Centers for Disease Control. The study verifies earlier findings that giving all four shots at once as a combination vaccine, known as the "MMRV," doubles the risk of fever-induced seizures, or febrile seizures, in one- to two-year-old children.
"With vaccines it is very common to get fevers, and some of the kids who get fevers get seizures. So it's a known complication of vaccinations that kids have an increased risk of febrile seizures," says Dr. Barry Kosofsky of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. "What this study was designed to find out is whether the incidence of febrile seizures was more in one group for vaccinated children than another."
Febrile seizures do not result in epilepsy and are also temporary and rare. While researchers found double the risk with the combined MMRV vaccine, that boils down to one seizure for every 2,300 doses given.
Giving the chicken pox vaccine separately from the measles, mumps and rubella shots cuts the risk down to about one in every 5,000 doses, which could change how vaccines are administered to infants.
"I suspect the American Academy of Pediatrics will now, based on this second group of data that is even stronger and now more compelling than the first, make the recommendation that the vaccinations be split and that children get three in one leg and the other in one leg," says Kosofsky.
School-age children receive MMRV booster shots between ages four and six. No increased risk for seizure with the combination vaccine has been reported for that age group.
Doctors say that is a good thing for children who may not be so keen on needles.
"It means four- to six-year-olds, who are very aware of what's going around them, can have one less vaccine" says Dr. Maura Frank of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell.
It makes vaccinations easily for young children who might not forget about the fear of multiple shots as fast as most babies do.
Message edited 6/27/2010 6:05:11 PM.
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Mommy2Boys
My Boys!!!!
Member since 6/06 14437 total posts
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C
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Re: Thought I Would Share This Article I Came Across Today Re:: MMR and Chicken Pox Vaccine
It kind of seems like a no brainer to me...of course the chance of high fevers is going to increase because each of those vaccines have a chance of high fevers by themselves.
I'm not sure why peds. and the AAP feel compelled to shoot our kids up with multiple vaccines at once anyhow...except for it being a matter of convenience for doctors and cheaper for insurance companies.
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ReiRei13
Life is Good!!
Member since 1/08 6460 total posts
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Re: Thought I Would Share This Article I Came Across Today Re:: MMR and Chicken Pox Vaccine
Posted by jellybean1420
It kind of seems like a no brainer to me...of course the chance of high fevers is going to increase because each of those vaccines have a chance of high fevers by themselves.
I'm not sure why peds. and the AAP feel compelled to shoot our kids up with multiple vaccines at once anyhow...except for it being a matter of convenience for doctors and cheaper for insurance companies.
ITA!!
That is just one of the many reasons that I have Frankie on an alternate schedule.
ETA- Thanks for sharing
Message edited 6/27/2010 7:44:51 PM.
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browneyedgirl
family is all that matters
Member since 6/06 6513 total posts
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browneyes
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Re: Thought I Would Share This Article I Came Across Today Re:: MMR and Chicken Pox Vaccine
doesn't change my views--my kids will continue to get whatever schedule is recommended from the AAP. after the scare we had with DD getting the one illness from the one shot i delayed, i will NEVER do that again.
another thought on the article--since when is 14 months considered an infant?
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