Stories of the pre-vaccine days

Nurses COVID

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I decided to start a new thread to show evidence or stories of just how serious these illnesses can be

And to anyone who disputes the severity of just how serious these well documented illnesses and complications of them are, I would seriously suggest reviewing some of your science courses

From another board I was reading.....

Obviously you are not of the generation of those of us who suffered through these illnesses. We ALL had measles, mumps, chicken pox. Oh, and let's not forget polio. Even an ear infection could result in complications. With the mumps you think you are choking to death. Oh yeah, testicular mumps can cause sterilization. The chicken pox left scars. But with the measles the scariest part was the high fever. I remember that illness in a dreamlike state. I remember the doctor making the house calls, my parents bathing me in alcohol to try and get the fever down. My mom told me I was delirious. Now picture that times the eight kids that were in our family.

Of course, the problem with the high fever is that it can lead to convulsions and other serious complications. I had an older cousin who got the measles at age 16. Her complications led to such severe brain damage that she was left with the mind of a two year old. She spent the rest of her life in an institution.

Because I was curious, I pulled out my Kindergarten and first grade report cards. I was absent 22 days in Kindergarten and 30 days in first grade. I remember as these illnesses would go like wildfire through the classrooms there would be 8 - 10 kids gone at a time. Pretty hard for a teacher to teach when kids are out for long periods at a time.

You can bet that when these vaccines became available our parents got us vaccinated. The Polio vaccine didn't become available until 1963. They did mass community vaccines for that. I remember going to **** School in ***** and standing in long, long lines of people waiting to get it. It was an oral vaccine and I remember they put it in sugar cubes.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Specializes in Anesthesia.

Everyone in the U.S. military gets the small pox vaccine unless you are medically exempt. I can't remember what year this was restarted, but it was d/t concerns over someone obtaining one of the small pox samples and exposing people to small pox. It is the "dirtiest" and highest side-effect risk vaccine that is still routinely given.

It is the one vaccine that I don't feel needs to still be routinely given.

FYI: The first known purposable inoculation to small pox was around 1000AD in China, and China started mass small pox immunizations around 1500AD.

Specializes in Early Intervention, Nsg. Education.

One of my neighbors has never vaccinated her 15 y.o. son against anything. I love in an area with a high percentage of parents who choose to decline all vax due to "personal and/or religious reasons." Her explanation for continuing to refuse vax for her 6'w", 180lb son with size 14 shoes? "He was a preemie and I'm worried that his immune system wouldn't be able to handle all those chemicals forced into his body." 🐂💩

Yes, he was born prematurely, 33 weeks 6 days (IUI so dates are accurate), 4lbs 15oz, developmentally normal for gestational age and escaped all of the typical preemie tricks (RDS, NEC, anemia, sepsis, etc.). He was on CPAP for 12 hrs and room air via NC for a few days, occasionally a little whiff of O2 blended in during bottle feeds. Mom was quite unhappy. She was planning a home birth with a lay midwife and "no drugs in either of their systems," including eye prophylaxis after birth, it K, pitocin, pain meds, etc. She wanted to do something with his placenta where it stays attached for a few days (????!?!) and wasn't permitted to take home his placenta (I'm sorry, but...eww!).

Once blood cultures were negative for a few days he was moved to SCN as a feeder-grower. He was a model NICU baby, totally sailed right through every test and advanced quickly to gavage feeds, then bottle feeds, maintaining temp in an open crib, etc. Despite all of the good news and complications avoided, she constantly fought with the NICU staff re: IV ABX, fluids, anything "un-natural." (A serious chat with the NEonatologist and Social Workers helped her change her mind about refusing treatment for him. She wasn't happy and constantly voiced her displeasure to anyone who would listen, but she did what she needed to do in order to allow her son to come home with her!). Fortunately, he was big and healthy and was released a few weeks later. He was a total "rock star," even caught up developmentally by 18mos chronological age.

A few weeks ago, she texted me to say that he had a cough that was so severe that he would cough until his face was purple and he vomited. Knowing his vax status (actually lack thereof), I encouraged her to call the MD immediately. She replied " Oh, I know he doesn't have pertussis, since one of his friends had it recently, and he isn't making that "whoop" sound after he coughs (she compared his cough to a YouTube video in order to make this dx, so there ya go!). He's just throwing up." UGH. I have a kid who has complete IgA and IgG 2 and 4 deficiency, so it's kind of important to know if he's been exposed to these things, preferably by a real live doctor or FNP not Dr. Google!

I don't know what the vax rate is for my area, but I'm pretty sure it's nowhere near 95%. Herd immunity? I wouldn't count on it. I know that this kid isn't vaccinated, but how many other unvaxed kids are running around for every kid that I DO know isn't vaxed? 😷

Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

My son had pertussis at 3mo. He'd had his first round of vaxes, but obviously not complete. Caught it from another kid in his daycare who hadn't yet completely finished his either.

The sight of my baby struggling for air....scary as hell.

My son had pertussis at 3mo. He'd had his first round of vaxes, but obviously not complete. Caught it from another kid in his daycare who hadn't yet completely finished his either.

The sight of my baby struggling for air....scary as hell.

Horrible, I know. My baby didn't have pertussis, but she did have a severe case of croup at one year old, and when she began kicking her legs furiously in panic during the worst of it, I nearly passed out. We rushed her to the hospital and as soon as they heard her, they waved us back into the ER and got her a room stat. OMG I've never been so terrified. I made a lot of bargains with God that day.

Sorry you had to experience something even far worse.

Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.
Horrible, I know. My baby didn't have pertussis, but she did have a severe case of croup at one year old, and when she began kicking her legs furiously in panic during the worst of it, I nearly passed out. We rushed her to the hospital and as soon as they heard her, they waved us back into the ER and got her a room stat. OMG I've never been so terrified. I made a lot of bargains with God that day.

Sorry you had to experience something even far worse.

Thanks. I've had a croupy baby too (kid #2 at 20mo) and know that's scary as well, esp once they get going and can't get settled (and it's inevitably oh-dark-thirty).

My son's case was not as bad as it could have been, and for that I am thankful. He coughed for 3 weeks and another provider saw him before his regular PNP figured it out. We started Zithromax, and he began to quickly turn the corner. We were very fortunate to never need ER, though we had a couple trips to the pedi office. Still, I don't mean to minimize pertussis. Many cases are far far worse than ours.

Specializes in critical care.
She wanted to do something with his placenta where it stays attached for a few days (????!?!) and wasn't permitted to take home his placenta (I'm sorry, but...eww!).

It's called Lotus Birthing. Rather than wait for the cord stump to dry up and fall off, they wait for the whole cord and placenta to fall off. I can't imagine that smells that great after a couple of days. The infection (sepsis, probably) risk must be astronomical.

Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.
It's called Lotus Birthing. Rather than wait for the cord stump to dry up and fall off, they wait for the whole cord and placenta to fall off. I can't imagine that smells that great after a couple of days. The infection (sepsis, probably) risk must be astronomical.

Actually, I don't know that the evidence bears this out. If left alone - which is best practice on any normal newborn cord - it will dry up and fall off in about a week or less. I've had babies whose moms were staying 4 days post c/s lose their cord stump before going home. There's no reason to think this would be any different for the whole cord. The parents keep the placenta in a bag close to baby and it dries up as well.

It's not for me but I know people who have done it and it's not as terrible as it's made to sound.

Specializes in Tele, OB, public health.

This is one that is currently happening, and I'm so angry I can't even see straight.

I recently learned that as I type this, a friend of a friend's 5 y.o is lying in PICU, brain dead.

they are shutting off the machines on Saturday.

From what I can gather, the child contracted HIB, and her throat closed.

She was w/o oxygen for over 20 minutes.

I am absolutely sick to my stomach over this.

I do not know the child's vaccination status. But there is a vaccine for this.

I am so filled with grief for this family; and I can't think of anyone words bad enough for any medical professional who would counsel anyone to not vaccinate

I have no more words for this

This is one that is currently happening, and I'm so angry I can't even see straight.

I recently learned that as I type this, an friend of a friend's 5 y.o is lying in PICU, brain dead.

they are shutting off the machines on Saturday.

From what I can gather, the child contracted HIB, and her throat closed.

She was w/o oxygen for over 20 minutes.

I am absolutely sick to my stomach over this.

I do not know the child's vaccination status. But there is a vaccine for this.

I am so filled with grief for this family; and I can't think of anyone words bad enough for any medical professional who would counsel anyone to vaccinate

I have no more words for this

dinah, I think you mean "any medical professional who would counsel anyone to NOT vaccinate"?

Specializes in Tele, OB, public health.
dinah, I think you mean "any medical professional who would counsel anyone to NOT vaccinate"?

Yes , totally. Edited

Specializes in L&D, Women's Health.

Going down memory lane in the other thread and then seeing this thread . . .

1. My best friend in middle school was hospitalized for over a year, some of in spent in the famous iron lung, because of polio. She woke one AM and couldn't get out of bed. She left with leg braces and a permanent limp. Fortunately, the Elk's Club covered her medical expenses or she'd still be paying!

2. I was hospitalized 4 months as a newborn with pertussis and all it involves. I have permanent lung damage (bronchiectasis) because of it.

3. My farrier (now retired) had polio and also permanent limp.

I really don't know of any complications due to MMR but that could be because I was too young. By the time I was 5, everyone already had measles, mumps, chicken pox.

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