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Covid vaccines

Hi there :),
I have a newly diagnosed seven year old. We are not getting our children vaccinated (not looking for judgement 😑). Have any parents here had experience without Covid vaccines and how the immunosuppression has been during this pandemic?
 

my little penguin

Moderator
Staff member
My child (actual adult at 18) is fully vaccinated for COVID plus boosted etc..
So no pandemic experience

He was dx at age 7
So as far as immunosuppresion and viruses in general
Your child is considered immunocompromised
Due to medicines (immunosuppressants and or biologics)
This does not make them more likely to catch any particular virus (flu COVID etc..) than the average person who is not immunocompromised

the issue becomes the reserves
So say your child catches the flu
Normally children get the flu and feel sick for a few days
Immunocompromised children get the flu are sick for longer
But are at a higher risk of getting a secondary opportunistic infection such as pneumonia

pneumonia after the flu or COVID or any virus is the scary part-no extra reserves to fight the second infection. .

so things to consider
Immunocompromised kids do not have as robust a response to vaccines (any of them -flu included ) as normal children

we time Ds vaccines including flu to be half way between his Stelara shots and hold his methotrexate-2 weeks after the vaccine

there is evushield which lasts for about 6 months and protects immunocompromised kids from COVID but is not a vaccine
Something to think about
 
My child (actual adult at 18) is fully vaccinated for COVID plus boosted etc..
So no pandemic experience

He was dx at age 7
So as far as immunosuppresion and viruses in general
Your child is considered immunocompromised
Due to medicines (immunosuppressants and or biologics)
This does not make them more likely to catch any particular virus (flu COVID etc..) than the average person who is not immunocompromised

the issue becomes the reserves
So say your child catches the flu
Normally children get the flu and feel sick for a few days
Immunocompromised children get the flu are sick for longer
But are at a higher risk of getting a secondary opportunistic infection such as pneumonia

pneumonia after the flu or COVID or any virus is the scary part-no extra reserves to fight the second infection. .

so things to consider
Immunocompromised kids do not have as robust a response to vaccines (any of them -flu included ) as normal children

we time Ds vaccines including flu to be half way between his Stelara shots and hold his methotrexate-2 weeks after the vaccine

there is evushield which lasts for about 6 months and protects immunocompromised kids from COVID but is not a vaccine
Something to think about
Thanx! I appreciate your honesty. We talked to the doctor and she didn’t push it which we appreciate. He will be on remicade infusions starting in a few weeks. His GI doctor told us that his chance of catching any virus is only slightly higher then other kids. So we feel confident in our choice to not vaccination especially knowing everything we have learned about the vaccine in this last year.
 
We could not start our child on a biologic without her being up to date on her childhood immunizations. She was 4 at the time (no covid then). I didn't know they could make exceptions.

We have had flu shots some years, and some years we haven't. She was hospitalized once after she caught a GI bug and couldn't shake it, but there is no immunizations for GI virus anyway.

She did have chickenpox as a young child and caught a flu years later and after getting over the flu she developed Shingles. The shingles needed emergency treatment because they started becoming systemic. This was an example of a nasty secondary infection after beating the flu.

After that we just began getting the flu shots each year. We also had her vaccinated against covid-19. So far we haven't seen any weird side effects from any of the vaccines.

That's our experience. Not pro or anti vaccine just made a choice based on a bad experience.
 
We could not start our child on a biologic without her being up to date on her childhood immunizations. She was 4 at the time (no covid then). I didn't know they could make exceptions.

We have had flu shots some years, and some years we haven't. She was hospitalized once after she caught a GI bug and couldn't shake it, but there is no immunizations for GI virus anyway.

She did have chickenpox as a young child and caught a flu years later and after getting over the flu she developed Shingles. The shingles needed emergency treatment because they started becoming systemic. This was an example of a nasty secondary infection after beating the flu.

After that we just began getting the flu shots each year. We also had her vaccinated against covid-19. So far we haven't seen any weird side effects from any of the vaccines.

That's our experience. Not pro or anti vaccine just made a choice based on a bad experience.
Yes they want him tested for all of his vaccines as well which he has up to date. They told us no live vaccines from now on..but he has already had those so we are good to go. Thanx for your reply!!! I appreciate it!
 
Yes they want him tested for all of his vaccines as well which he has up to date. They told us no live vaccines from now on..but he has already had those so we are good to go. Thanx for your reply!!! I appreciate it!
Oh Covid they are not requiring…..yet. So that is our decision now.
 
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