HIB makes a comback...kills unvaccinated child

[Cairber]

HIb outbreak kills unvaccinated child

And it begins. Hib was virtually erased and now we have children dying from it. Plus, because this vaccine prevents transmission and creates herd immunity, I bet the vaccinated child with immune deficiency contracted the disease because of the unvaccinated kids.

Jan. 23, 2009 - A Hib meningitis outbreak has killed one Minnesota infant and sickened four others, prompting the CDC to warn parents to make sure their kids have had their basic Hib vaccinations.

Hib is Haemophilus influenzae type B. Before a vaccine became available in 1992, some 20,000 U.S. children under age 5 got severe Hib infections every year, resulting in about 1,000 deaths.

Minnesota hadn't had a Hib death since 1991. Now the state is facing it's biggest outbreak since 1992 -- and it may not be just that one state, warns Anne Schuchat, MD, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

"The situation in Minnesota might be isolated, or it might be the beginning of a trend in other places," Schuchat said at a news conference. "We are working hard to determine which of these stories is the right one."

One of the five Minnesota Hib meningitis cases was in a 5-month-old child too young to have finished its first series of Hib shots. Another case was in a child who got all the shots but who turned out to have an immune deficiency.

The other three cases -- including the death -- were in infants whose parents refused to vaccinate them. Parents of two children objected to vaccines; the parents of the third child were waiting to vaccinate until the child was 5 years old.

"We had a death from a child who was unvaccinated. We want to encourage parents who have delayed or refused vaccination to reconsider," Kristen Ehresmann, RN, MPH, of the Minnesota Department of Health, said at the news conference. "Hib vaccine not only protects your child, but also protects babies who have not completed their primary series or those who have immune compromise."

The CDC is warning all parents of young children to make sure their kids have finished their primary Hib vaccination. Parents who aren't sure are urged to check with their doctors as soon as possible.

"Parents who wondered whether Hib vaccination is really necessary need to know the disease is still around," Schuchat said. "It is a very dangerous disease and we have a vaccine that can protect children. The situation where community protection kept unimmunized kids at low risk of disease does not appear to be holding."

There's been a Hib vaccine shortage since December 2007, when Merck shut down its vaccine manufacturing plant because of possible bacterial contamination. Merck made about half the Hib vaccine used in the U.S. It won't have new vaccine at least until this summer.

Sanofi's Hib vaccine is still available, and there should be enough to cover the basic three-shot series for infants as well as catch-up shots for latecomers. Unlike the two-shot Merck vaccine, the three-dose Sanofi vaccine is given at 2, 4, and 6 months.

There's supposed to be a booster shot at 12-18 months for either vaccine, but the CDC has asked parents to hold off on that shot until the shortage is over (unless their child is at high risk of Hib illness).

Children who have not had their Hib shots and who are at least 1 year old need only one Hib shot, Schuchat says.

Why is there a Hib outbreak now? Minnesota data suggest that the Hib vaccine shortage is playing a role. A quick study shows that 18% of 7-month-old Minnesota kids who got other vaccines did not complete their primary Hib vaccination.

"We interpret this as a shortage of vaccine. Providers did not have the vaccine in their offices," Minnesota state epidemiologist Ruth Lynfield, MD, said at the news conference.

That has probably created a pool of children vulnerable to Hib infections. Before the shortage, widespread Hib vaccination kept infection rates low enough to protect even unvaccinated kids -- a phenomenon called "herd immunity."

But now that protection has ebbed below the level needed to maintain herd immunity, unvaccinated kids pose a threat to kids whose age or immune status make them extremely vulnerable to serious Hib complications.

And Hib can be quite serious. The bug's name, Haemophilus influenza, is confusing. In the days before viruses were discovered, it was thought to be the cause of flu. That's not true. But Hib bacteria can cause pneumonia, severe upper airway infection, and meningitis. Even if not fatal, Hib meningitis can leave children deaf or with severe brain or nerve damage.

[Tasoth]

It pains me to see innocent children suffering because of knuckle headed parents. Hopefully this grim specter will make the parents with holding the vaccinations wake up and get them done. Is there any information on progress on meeting the shortage for that 18% that couldn't finish the vaccinations?

[Admiral Valdemar]

In the UK, measles is growing rampant after the MMR scare of a few years ago. I remember seeing one mother on TV a few weeks ago whose teenage daughter collapsed and nearly went into a coma because of the infection. She was adamant to get her children immunised ASAP and seemingly the image of her daughter on death's door hit the point home: whatever perceived risk there is from autism or any other side-effect, it is nothing compared to the very real risk of dying. And there are plenty of diseases we could lose herd immunity to because of ignorant parents (ironically, being overprotective to the detriment of their child's health) refusing vaccination, simply because they feel one GP and a poor grasp of immunology warrants questioning a decades long eradication programme.

[Cairber]

I was told today by my doctor (we were in for vaccinations and he brought this article up) that our area (merck's vaccine plant that was shut down is located here) is just now getting back up to normal supply through increased ordering of the other brand.

[Mayabird]

It pains me to see innocent children suffering because of knuckle headed parents. Hopefully this grim specter will make the parents with holding the vaccinations wake up and get them done.

I'm afraid this is only the beginning for the U.S. One death far away isn't enough to counter nonstop propaganda throughout the media. Outbreaks of preventable diseases will probably have to become widespread, with a number of high profile deaths (babies of Hollywood stars dying of measles, maybe) for the anti-vaccine idiots to be discredited to the general public. I hope I'm wrong.

[SirNitram]

whatever perceived risk there is from autism or any other side-effect, it is nothing compared to the very real risk of dying.

You stupid member of the conspiracy! How much did the vaccine industrial-complex pay you for that? A dead child at least had a soul!

"There is something about autism that to me gave meaning to the phrase ‘death in life’. Autism is an impossible condition of being there and not being there; a person without a self; a life without a soul. […] She will not sit in the corner. She will not play with strings. She will not not look at me. She will not be mute. She may want it. I will not have it. She will be dragged, kicking and screaming, into the human condition."—Catherine Maurice, ABA parent, 1993

Yes, they seriously believe this shit.

[Admiral Valdemar]

I hear dead kids can act the "life without a soul" thing quite well too. And, hey, they're even quieter and less hassle than normal kids.

[Tasoth]

I'm afraid this is only the beginning for the U.S. One death far away isn't enough to counter nonstop propaganda throughout the media. Outbreaks of preventable diseases will probably have to become widespread, with a number of high profile deaths (babies of Hollywood stars dying of measles, maybe) for the anti-vaccine idiots to be discredited to the general public. I hope I'm wrong.

Oh, I know that. When these epidemics hit, their going to leave mounds of dead children in their wake surrounded by parents wailing and point the finger of blame at government or science, wanting to know why they didn't step into to do something and protect their precious babies.

And I hope they respond with 'They're called vaccinations.'

[Superman]

This particular brand of screwiness irks me to no end. Why exactly is society allowed to be at risk because of a few screwballs acting out their paranoid bullshit?

[Samuel]

So, anyone think the government can make vaccine usage mandatory? Otherwise this will happen again... and again... and again as the scare goes away and a new group lacks knowledge of the risks. After all, some of us allergic to certain vaccines and don't want to suffer because some people don't want to have their kids take them (whopping cough sucked).

[Guardsman Bass]

So, anyone think the government can make vaccine usage mandatory? Otherwise this will happen again... and again... and again as the scare goes away and a new group lacks knowledge of the risks. After all, some of us allergic to certain vaccines and don't want to suffer because some people don't want to have their kids take them (whopping cough sucked).

The problem is that most of these vaccine laws have an exemption for "religious" reasons (aside from the obvious medical exemptions if a kid is determined to be at severe risk from a reaction to a shot). These types of people tend to abuse these laws.

I don't know why they don't get rid of the religious exemption when it comes to vaccination at the federal level. It's not as if the entire religious community gets up in arms when the state intervenes to require dumbshit anti-medicine religious parents to get their kids treated for an illness. Some states do try to do something like this, and require kids to have vaccinations if they want to attend school.

[folti78]

So, anyone think the government can make vaccine usage mandatory?

Vaccination is mandatory here*, but it didn't stopped some jackasses (who probably read some autism and other myths on the big bad internet) to deny vaccination to their children**. Currently their trial is still in progress, but the first level court sentenced them to 8 months of prison suspended for 2 years for endangering their children.

Also not having the needed vaccination or exemption for medical causes, will bar the kids from government run kindergartens and schools.

* except for clear-cut medical reasons, but thats a miniscule minority..

** the article I found, mentioned that they also failed to follow the doctor's instructions and didn't give the kids some required vitamin supplements and feed them an improper (fully vegetarian) diet.

[Darth Wong]

This particular brand of screwiness irks me to no end. Why exactly is society allowed to be at risk because of a few screwballs acting out their paranoid bullshit?

Because you can't stop misinformation campaigns (9/11 truthers and creationists have proven this), and the argument that something should be done "for the good of society" is hard to sell when people tend to think of their own private rights first. People still drive huge SUVs for "safety" even though it's well-publicized that they make life more dangerous for everyone else on the road.

[bobalot]

In the UK, measles is growing rampant after the MMR scare of a few years ago. I remember seeing one mother on TV a few weeks ago whose teenage daughter collapsed and nearly went into a coma because of the infection. She was adamant to get her children immunised ASAP and seemingly the image of her daughter on death's door hit the point home: whatever perceived risk there is from autism or any other side-effect, it is nothing compared to the very real risk of dying. And there are plenty of diseases we could lose herd immunity to because of ignorant parents (ironically, being overprotective to the detriment of their child's health) refusing vaccination, simply because they feel one GP and a poor grasp of immunology warrants questioning a decades long eradication programme.

The worst thing is, the so called connection was shown to be a load of bullshit. The media dropped this unsubstantiated bullshit and convinced stupider members of the general public to put their kids at risk. They should share some of the blame. The have a unique role (power?) in society, which they seem to think has no responsibility attached to it.

[Twoyboy]

In the UK, measles is growing rampant after the MMR scare of a few years ago. I remember seeing one mother on TV a few weeks ago whose teenage daughter collapsed and nearly went into a coma because of the infection. She was adamant to get her children immunised ASAP and seemingly the image of her daughter on death's door hit the point home: whatever perceived risk there is from autism or any other side-effect, it is nothing compared to the very real risk of dying. And there are plenty of diseases we could lose herd immunity to because of ignorant parents (ironically, being overprotective to the detriment of their child's health) refusing vaccination, simply because they feel one GP and a poor grasp of immunology warrants questioning a decades long eradication programme.

The worst thing is, the so called connection was shown to be a load of bullshit. The media dropped this unsubstantiated bullshit and convinced stupider members of the general public to put their kids at risk. They should share some of the blame. The have a unique role (power?) in society, which they seem to think has no responsibility attached to it.

How do you nail down the media as perpetrators of the crime when they say things like "it has been reported that..." or "several studies have shown links between..."? They're right. It's perfectly factual. Misleading, but factual. I still think parents share much more of the blame. If I have to make the decision on whether or not to vaccinate my kids, I should do a bit more research than reading the local paper* and expecting it to be the best judge of medical knowledge. Hell, even if they're lazy, they could ask any doctor or community nurse, and I'm sure the answer would almost always be, "Vaccinate, NOW!".

On a related note, James Randi had an interesting discussion recently in the Randi.org blog concerning a measles outbreak including the numbers of vaccinated and unvaccinated children involved... and how many unvaccinated children are now vaccinated. I'd guess the majority of these parents did no research at all until another kid at the school just about died of measles.


*especially since our local paper is a total farce of a media outlet

[mr friendly guy]

*especially since our local paper is a total farce of a media outlet

Ah yes, the West Australian. Sensationalist crap and where the Letters to the Editor are written by retards. Got to love it. At least they got rid of the editor now, not because of any journalistic integrity or lack of, but because he didn't get on well with the staff.

[The Yosemite Bear]

reminds me of something.

Fundy kid: I don't believe in Evolution, or Vaccines
Me: Well I guess your going to prove them both right.

[Posner]

In what way are vaccines mandatory today? Do you have to get one in order to go to school? As much as this vaccines cause autism nonsense is disproven how could the government enforce mandatory vaccination aside from denying the kids entrance into school?

[Broomstick]

Yeah, vaccines are required for most public schools and quite a few private ones. If you didn't know that I presume you are not a parent and fairly young.

[Posner]

Yeah, vaccines are required for most public schools and quite a few private ones. If you didn't know that I presume you are not a parent and fairly young.

Haha, I knew that much, I see how my question was poorly written. But is requiring vaccines in order to attend school the extent of making vaccines mandatory? No matter how aggresive you want to make vaccination laws, how could you make it any more mandatory than that?

[Broomstick]

To get the final smallpox vaccinations administered some governments used armed military personnel to escort the doctors into remote villages and forcibly held people down while the vaccine was given.

How's that for "mandatory"?

Speaking of which - when I was an infant I still got a smallpox vaccination despite the fact I had active eczema at the time. Active eczema puts one at high risk for a vaccination complication that, until recently, was 100% fatal. Needless to say, I did not experience that side effect but such were the horrors of smallpox that the deaths of (a small number of) babies by having their skin slowly, hopelessly, and fatally destroyed by a bad reaction to a vaccine was seen as an acceptable trade off for controlling/eliminating the disease.

My, how times have changed.

[Cairber]

I know I am bumping an old thread I made. But I am adding new information, as it seems that now there is also an outbreak in southeast PA, which is where I live:

Increase in Haemophilus influenzae type b disease among unvaccinated children

The Pennsylvania Department of Health (PADOH) is releasing the following information related to the occurrence of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) cases in Pennsylvania.

In the last six months, the PADOH has received reports of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) invasive disease in four unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated children less than five years of age in southeastern Pennsylvania. Isolates from three additional cases of Haemophilus influenzae invasive disease, also in unvaccinated children less than five years old from southeastern Pennsylvania, have not yet been serotyped. Three of these seven children died. Clinicians are strongly encouraged to ensure that children have received the full primary series of Hib vaccinations.

I am hoping this gets play in the news. Right now no one is talking about it, but I have emailed the information to the local news in hopes that someone will run the story. People need to be aware that this is happening here now, too.

[Samuel]

More dead than the last time. Where is this occurring? The description makes it sound like it is rural, which means less exposure. The article makes it sound like this isn't under control... that's bad.

Since November 2007, Hib vaccine has been in short supply and the shortage is expected to continue into at least mid-2009.

Why the problem? Is it they can't deal with all the parents immunizing at the same time, or that the production has scaled down?

Also, I hope your kids are old enough to be vaccinated.

[folti78]

Since November 2007, Hib vaccine has been in short supply and the shortage is expected to continue into at least mid-2009.

Why the problem? Is it they can't deal with all the parents immunizing at the same time, or that the production has scaled down?

Reason of the shortage:

There's been a Hib vaccine shortage since December 2007, when Merck shut down its vaccine manufacturing plant because of possible bacterial contamination. Merck made about half the Hib vaccine used in the U.S. It won't have new vaccine at least until this summer.

Also the next sentence in the article you quoted:

As a result, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended that health care providers defer giving a fourth and final booster dose of Hib vaccine to toddlers, age 12-15 months, so that as many infants as possible can complete the primary series.

So one manufacturer has been shut down and the remaining one didn't have the capacity to supply the demand. Sad.

[Aratech]

A vaccine production plant shut down due to bacterial contamination? Well, that's ironic.

I wonder how many parents will still refuse vaccination for their children under these conditions. Can someone explain to me why the Government has not made such things mandatory?