Sweet 16 and never had a vaccine

[BobTheDonkey]

Unless you get a lot of them at the same time;which is what I got the first day of Basic Training in the US Army.

Did you get to do the "assembly line" of vaccinations too?

 

[Hellbound]

Unless you get a lot of them at the same time;which is what I got the first day of Basic Training in the US Army.

Did you get to do the "assembly line" of vaccinations too?

It's even worse when you start a deployment and the unit has lost your medical records.

I got all these in a single day: Flu, Tetanus, Yellow Fever, Hep A, Anthrax, Hep B, Smallpox, PPD, HIV blood draw, Typhoid, MMR (in the side of my stomach because they ran out of places in my arms), polio, and I think one or two more I'm forgetting.

I'd take basic again over that

 

[BobTheDonkey]

It's even worse when you start a deployment and the unit has lost your medical records.

I got all these in a single day: Flu, Tetanus, Yellow Fever, Hep A, Anthrax, Hep B, Smallpox, PPD, HIV blood draw, Typhoid, MMR (in the side of my stomach because they ran out of places in my arms), polio, and I think one or two more I'm forgetting.

I'd take basic again over that

You poor, poor fool. That's why I kept copies of my shot records...as if I was going to actually trust my deployment manager/hospital computer system...

 

[Hellbound]

You poor, poor fool. That's why I kept copies of my shot records...as if I was going to actually trust my deployment manager/hospital computer system...

So did I...but did not have them with me at the mob station that day, and medical was only there one day, so no time to retrieve my own.

Of course, now I have my entire set of military records, medical and personnel, at home. The unit I'm with currently has allowed several violations of the Privacy Act and has consistently "misplaced" my records. Our admin section sucks balls. I STILL have not been paid for duty I did at the beginning of April. They are not getting my records...if they need anything, I'll get them the copy .

 

[dudalb]

Did you get to do the "assembly line" of vaccinations too?

I think everybody in the US Military gets that experience.
And, as Hellbound mentioned, you get a encore if you are deploying overseas to regions which have all sorts of twitching awfuls that Americans would be subsceptible to.

 

[dudalb]

It's even worse when you start a deployment and the unit has lost your medical records.

I got all these in a single day: Flu, Tetanus, Yellow Fever, Hep A, Anthrax, Hep B, Smallpox, PPD, HIV blood draw, Typhoid, MMR (in the side of my stomach because they ran out of places in my arms), polio, and I think one or two more I'm forgetting.

I'd take basic again over that

Oh, when I was going through the Basic Assembly line, one guy said "BUt I have already been incoulated against Smallpox" the medic said "Then you will be twice as healthy" which I understand is a traditonal response....

 

[Hellbound]

Oh, when I was going through the Basic Assembly line, one guy said "BUt I have already been incoulated against Smallpox" the medic said "Then you will be twice as healthy" which I understand is a traditonal response....

Pretty much. If you happened to have some sort of official vaccination record with you, you were okay...but not too many people thought to bring that (or even had that available).

 

[soylent]

Unless you get a lot of them at the same time;which is what I got the first day of Basic Training in the US Army.

You mean the soreness afterwards? I believe that is your body's inflammationary response to fight off this new 'pathogen'(the vaccines) not a result of the needle prick itself.

I believe TB vaccine used to use a rather nasty, thicker-than-usual needle for some reason; do they still do that?

 

[Hellbound]

I believe TB vaccine used to use a rather nasty, thicker-than-usual needle for some reason; do they still do that?

There is no TB vaccine; just a test to see if you've been exposed. It wasn't a thick liquid...it was the one that was pushed into your skin to make a littel weal.

The thick ones are the Bicillin that some got in basic, and the IG (or GG) shot. Bicillin was a mix of penicillin and something else, basically a high-dose, broad-spectrum antibiotic to make sure if you had anything when you went, you didn't by the time you got in (especially important considering the close quarters for basic).

The IG/GG shot was to protect against Hep A. It wasn't a vaccination, more like a boost to the immune system. But that one is the thickest I've ever seen (even worse because it must be refrigerated until use). Now that they've developed a Hep A vaccine, it isn't given as often.

You mean the soreness afterwards? I believe that is your body's inflammationary response to fight off this new 'pathogen'(the vaccines) not a result of the needle prick itself.

And this is, in general, correct. Depends on the vaccine. Typically, you get this with live virus vaccines (see above, I discussed it a bit).

If the only symptiom is soreness for a day or two, then it's probably not an immune reaction. The injections do tear a small amount of muscle tissue as they sueeze into the tissue, and this can be painful on it's own.

I was a medic for about 13 years, so I've done my share on the giving and recieving end of all these

 

[Deetee]

There is no TB vaccine; just a test to see if you've been exposed. It wasn't a thick liquid...it was the one that was pushed into your skin to make a littel weal.

There is a TB vaccine. It is not ususally given in the US but widely used elsewhere (BCG).
The thing used to raise wheals is a Heaf test (or sometimes a Mantoux test is used).
This checks for underlying iommunity to TB - if it reacts a little it is a sign you have some immunity and prior exposure, if it reacts a lot you may actually just have TB!

 

[Hellbound]

Cool, did not know there was a TB vaccine Looks to be some question as to how well it works, though, and seems to be given more like the smallpox was rather than an injection.

I still think the previous poster was confusing something else for the TB vaccine. I didn't think to look at location; I was still in the context of the U.S. military

 

[tuoni]

Cool, did not know there was a TB vaccine Looks to be some question as to how well it works, though, and seems to be given more like the smallpox was rather than an injection.

I still think the previous poster was confusing something else for the TB vaccine. I didn't think to look at location; I was still in the context of the U.S. military

In school at around 15 or so we had the heaf test on our forearms - if it turned red after a week or so, then you were immune and didn't have the vaccine, if it didn't, you got an injection in your upper arm.

 

[Hellbound]

In school at around 15 or so we had the heaf test on our forearms - if it turned red after a week or so, then you were immune and didn't have the vaccine, if it didn't, you got an injection in your upper arm.

Not immune, though that's a common misconception. If it turns red, it means you've been exposed, already have anti0bodies, and are likely to have an adverse reaction to the vaccine. I read up a bit on it after I found out it existed

So it is an injection, then? According tot he Wiki article, it's intra-dermal (means it goes in just under the skin, not into the muscle tissue), and the device they showed looked a lot like the smallpox needles.

 

[tuoni]

Not immune, though that's a common misconception. If it turns red, it means you've been exposed, already have anti0bodies, and are likely to have an adverse reaction to the vaccine. I read up a bit on it after I found out it existed

Ah, fair enough - it was quite a few years ago... All I remember is being dragged out of Chemistry to get it because my arm hadn't turned red

So it is an injection, then? According tot he Wiki article, it's intra-dermal (means it goes in just under the skin, not into the muscle tissue), and the device they showed looked a lot like the smallpox needles.

As far as I can remember... The heaf test was done on my forearm with a thing which looked a bit like an office stamp with a load of small needles in it. The vaccine itself was put just about 1/3rd a way down my left arm (I'm right-handed) using a hypodermic, which has scarred.

I don't know, I may be getting it confused with something else, we all had quite a few injections/drops over a period of a year or something for a long list of things - my memories of school are hazy at best.

 

[Hellbound]

Looking back, I believe I was mistaken. Although they show a device that looks a lot liek your rubber stamp, that's apparently used in Japan. The text clarifies a single, intra-dernmal injection in the deltoid.

I'd still question the thickness, though. Being intra-dermal, it's going to raise a bump at the spot (the liquid is injected between the epidermis and the dermis). OF course, now that I look back at the original post, I realize he was talking about the needle, not the vaccine.

Doh!

I need to just quit today

 

[tuoni]

Looking back, I believe I was mistaken. Although they show a device that looks a lot liek your rubber stamp, that's apparently used in Japan. The text clarifies a single, intra-dernmal injection in the deltoid.

I'd still question the thickness, though. Being intra-dermal, it's going to raise a bump at the spot (the liquid is injected between the epidermis and the dermis). OF course, now that I look back at the original post, I realize he was talking about the needle, not the vaccine.

Doh!

I need to just quit today

Ahha! Makes sense. I think I remember it raising a bump, I certainly remember it ended up getting infected and oozing within about a week, but that's because I knocked it whilst playing Rugby, I think. Past that, your medical knowledge far outstrips mine so I'll quit whilst I'm ahead

 

[Hellbound]

Ahha! Makes sense. I think I remember it raising a bump, I certainly remember it ended up getting infected and oozing within about a week, but that's because I knocked it whilst playing Rugby, I think. Past that, your medical knowledge far outstrips mine so I'll quit whilst I'm ahead

The oozing and infection it's supposed to do; it's kinda like smallpox in that way

And my medical knowledge isn't that much, especially since my reading ability seems to have fled for the day...

 

[brantc]

Hello All,

Well not 16 actually, more like 21.

It seems that I was unfortunate enough to be a child at a time that the link between vaccinations and autism was being heavily publicised by the British press. My mother denied me the MMR jab (In fact I haven't had any Jabs as far as I know, although I assume I had some as a baby) so I am now a substantial risk to myself and others.

I've been thinking that I really should get vaccinated now. I keep putting it off as although I've never had an injection I know I'm phobic of needles (I think I've just built it up in my head too much).

I was just wondering If there are other people on here who didn't get vaccinated for similar reasons and whether they too have developed a phobia of needles.

(first time posting a thread, If it is in the wrong place or just completely irrelevant I apologies)


Kind Regards,

Sam

Have you had a problem?? Are you traveling? If not, dont.

 

[tuoni]

Have you had a problem?? Are you traveling? If not, dont.

Yeah, that's fine... rely on everyone else's vaccinations to keep you OK, right?