Live Vaccines

[Mehita]

Ok, I know DS cannot get live vaccines, but what about other members of the family? For instance, his little brother will be due for the MMR booster soon. It's live, right? Do I need to keep them away from each other for a few days? Or say if grandma gets the flu nasal mist and we see her that same day?

And which diseases exactly are the ones that tend to cause problems for IBDer's? The school nurse said she'd be more than willing to call and give me a heads up, but asked for a list.

Flu?
Measles?
???

 

[Sascot]

I will be keeping an eye on this thread. I was just wondering this myself - my nephew may be getting the live flu vaccine soon and I was wondering whether to keep my son away or not.

 

[Jmrogers4]

We were told no live flu vaccine for anyone in the family, but I've wondered about it as well since obviously with school and all he would be around people who have gotten the live version.
I don't think we have been faced with any other "live" boosters so have not had to make that call. Although one would hope since he has been vaccinated for MMR that coming in contact with it he would be covered by that.

 

[DustyKat]

This article states that close household contacts with immune mediated inflammatory diseases can receive MMR:

Vaccination of household contacts

Close contacts of persons with altered immune competence can safely receive all age-appropriate vaccines (evidence Level B), with the exception of live oral poliomyelitis vaccine, which has been replaced by the injectable inactivated vaccine in industrialized countries. MMR, varicella and rotavirus vaccines should be administered when indicated. MMR vaccine viruses are not transmitted to contacts, and transmission of varicella vaccine is rare [68]. The risk of rotavirus transmission to immunocompromized household contacts is estimated to be much lower than the risk of contracting wild-type rotavirus infection [70]. However, to minimize potential rotavirus transmission, hand hygiene measures after contact with faeces of a rotavirus-vaccinated infant should last for at least 1 week [68, 96].

http://rheumatology.oxfordjournals.org/content/49/10/1815.full

The article is well worth a read and be sure and open the tables. It does discuss influenza but does not specifically mention household contacts. However I get the overall impression that it is likely not an issue??

Dusty.

 

[Johnnysmom]

My daughter always got the flu mist and this year my son's GI said she could not get it because it could expose our son. She had to get the flu shot right along with him.