Hib booster

[prufrock]

We have just got a letter to say that dd (13m)needs a Hib booster. This will be the 4th vaccinne against Hib. Reading between the lines of the official leaflet, it appears the vaccinne used recently in the DTPHib injections was not effective enough, so they want to do everyone again in case they aren't covered. I am a bit loath to give dd yet another vaccine, just in case she was unlucky and the last 3 didn't work. Has anybody else been told they need this? Are there tests to check whether she is immunised or not?

PS chickenpox vaccination is also available for children over 12 months of age. this vaccination is not provided free of charge. Ds did not recive this vaccination as he had chickenpox beofre 12 months of age. Dd was booked for this vaccination this Friday but has come out with chickenpox-like blisters this morning!

Thanks chelle- the infanrix is thimerosil free. You used to be able request it in the UK, but I think it may have now been withdrawn becuase of the problems with hib.

Interesting that they are more spaced out in Aus as well.

Thanks again- I'm always interested in hearing how other countries do it.

trying to catch up here!
Dh's surgery has tried to order the mercury-free Hib boosters for the children in their practice (we actually use a different surgery - ethical reasons) - but dont yet know if they will be able to get them.
Dh isn't 'against' it as such - he just isnt convinced it is necessary. The number of cases they are talking about is tiny and Hib disease is so exceptionally rare that we decided not to bother. Our kids have had all other jabs (ds still waiting for MMR, I put it back to 16 months as they wanted to call him for it at 12 months when it isn't as effective, then when we got the appointment he was running a temperature so now its week after next) and will have all the standard boosters.
What he is objecting to is that the doctors only have the same information that the parents have - there's no good research or anything being given to the doctors so they can inform patients, and dh is very into informed consent. He's offering the booster to his patients as it would be unethical for him not to, given that it is available, but he is having a good chat to all the parents first, before he goes ahead.
Hope this helps a bit - my GP has put some pressure on to have it done (offering it at the same time as the MMR etc) and is a bit annoyed with dh for putting us off it, but they are paid by reaching their targets for vaccines. I hate that. Dh's practice opted out of that scheme and are paid differently, based on quality, not quantity of service - one of their projects under the new payment scheme has been developing ways of explaining risk and helping people to consent properly to treatment - I must read his stuff about it sometime, sounds fascinating.
Jimjams - I'll ask about the pertussis jag - he's out on a call (he has a terminal patient and has been in and out all day trying to keep him comfy and at home rather than sending him into hospital, so goodness knows when he will be back). I'll try and remember this time!! Sorry!

What is Thimerosil? I have never heard of it or possible risks (presumably) associated with jabs containing it.

I have just booked ds (8 months) for his Hib booster but I wonder if he really needs it.......

Soly, this thread might help

www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=138&threadid=8511&stamp=030611120721

(sorry you will have to copy/paste as I can't get the link to insert properly)

Thimerosil thread

(Had another go and managed to get Link to come up)

Am really beginning to wish I hadn't taken ds (2 years old) for this booster now. I wish I'd seen this thread before hand (that'll teach me to only skim read). He's been quite poorly (high temperature plus wheezing) on and off since Monday when he had it done.

Doctor isn't convinced it's related to the vaccine - but I'm just not convinced that somehow he managed to get a virus just at the same time, plus there's no other cold or virusy type symptoms along with the wheezing which I would have expected. Am now concerned these symptoms won't get properly reported back as a result.

Am really quite upset that there doesn't seem to be proper information being distributed to the GPs either... our GP just seemed to brush it off as he'd never seen a bad reaction to Hib outside the first few hours.

susanmt - just wanted to ask you why you wanted to wait until your DS was 16 months for the MMR jab?

I've yet to make up my mind on this one and would like to know how you came to this conclusion.

Thanks.

I got DS2s call up for the Hib booster this morning. I'm now not sure whether to go for it or not. On the plus side, DS1 won't need it and hasn't been called for his pre school MMR booster yet either.

From what I've heard my dd will be getting recalled to have her HIB booster soon too, I will tell them no after reading all of this! I'm also very concerned about the mercury levels in vaccines. I know this is probably dealt with in another thread, but apparently they are being given 30 times the recommended limit for an adult in one vaccine! How hypocritical of the g'ment to tell pregnant women not to eat too much tuna or oily fish because of mercury levels!

Hib booster doesn't have mercury in it (or Thimerosil) - can't remember where I read it, but it was in one of the NHS ingredients & side effects lists I was reading last night. If I find the URL again I will post it.

I take it all back about ds being ill from it. Looks like he has a classic case of croup. Probably picked it up in the waiting room and immune system a bit more sensitive due to the vaccine

Here's one, GeorginaA. I feel much happier about taking DS2 now

So does anyone know which vaccines had the high levels of mercury in them?

Could I just mention that I read the leaflet that Soupdragon just linked, but I also rang the NHS Helpline.

I rang the NHS Helpline about an hour before I took DD for her HIB Booster and they had to do some reading up and get back to me, so I decided I would take DD to the doctors and speak to them about it. When we got to the doctors they gave me the leaflet linked by Soupdragon so I felt at ease and DD had the jab. When I got home, however, NHS Helpline rang me back and said that some of the brands contained thimerosil(sp?) and that I would have to check the ingredients.

Conflicting advice?

this is a fascinating thread - guess what I got in the post this morning ???? yup, a notice for dd to have her hib booster plus accompanying leaflet which lamely explained ( or didn't really) how the 200/2001 hib vaccine wasnt effective enough. Having read all this though I feel we probably won't go for it, especially susanmt's postings. We opted for the single vaccines for our daughter btw, rather than MMR. It was a hassle and expensive but I don't regret a thing.

Rhubarb - it depends on the brand and how your child is given the vaccine. For instance when ds1 was given his first lot of jabs he was given a separate dtp and separate hib - both contained thimerosil I believe. This was followed at his 12 week lot by a combined vaccine which contained thimerosil but probably less than the two separate ones he's had at 8 weeks.

When I was considering whether or not to give ds2 his baby jabs I had a chat with the practice nurse who went through the ones she had in the fridge- all contained thimerosil. She said if we decided to give ds2 his jabs to ring her beforehand and she would ensure that they ordered in thimerosil free ones for us- but she said if we didn;t ring before hand we would just get whatever was in the fridge - they werre just randomly sent a brand iyswim. I didn't take it any further as we decided not to vaccinate ds2 anyway- but I know it varies from brand to brand. I know infanrix is thimerosil free- but that was the only brand I could get a guarantee on at the time. I didn't want ds2 having infanrix as I didn't want him having pertussis vaccine, but I couldn't find a thimerosil free DT or single hib at the time. This was a year ago now and other vaccine manufacturers may have gone thimerosil free. of course it may be worth asking what they've replaced it with as the still have to add some sort of preservative.

long winded- but it depends on the brand

My ds2 is 2 and is booked to have his HIB booster on Monday. I really didn't even question whether he should or not until I read this thread. Now I'm not sure. Will discuss with dh tonight and let him read this then make a decision.

Thanks JimJams, I haven't got a letter recalling dd yet, but when I do I will ask about thimerosil. Really, how are we supposed to know that they contain mercury when they give it such an innocuous name! You just have to question everything as a mother don't you?

DS is 21 months old and we haven't been recalled yet, I haven't actually decided to give it him but thought I would just ask the GP about it. She said he would need to wait until he's had all his single jabs (having those instead of MMR) and as he's on a waiting list for mumps we would need to wait until he's had that and then they would give him the hib booster.

At the time I kind of went "er, OK" but when I got home I thought what difference would it make waiting until all 3 single jabs have been done?

I'm going to call them to clarify but just wondered if anyone could think of why they might say that.

mybe she's playing safe. They used to refuse to give polio (live virus) at the same time as dtp (dead inoculatuion) (this was in the mid 80's). Not sure what her reasons would be, (and according to dept of health thinking there shouldn't be any reason for this) but I think it would make sense. They're powerful agents- treat them with caution.

BTW there may be a reason as the action of vaccines together can alter the efect. For example the diptheria vacine works better when it is tacked onto the tetanus one, rather than given alone. Mind you I doubt they've had time to do that sort of research on hib.

I'm really really confused. When we found out about the hib booster, dh and I said, well it contains thiomersal ds' not having it - Hes not even been recalled yet. Then there was a link to an NHS page by Soupdragon saying the Hib didn't contain thiomersal. Dh and I said right fine, DS can have it when we get the appointment from the docs. Now theres conflicting advice as to which brand of Hib booster you have as to which contains thiomersal.

If the NHS quite clearly in the link by soupdragon state that the Hib DOES NOT contain - in their words, mercury (thiomersal). Why the blooming heck is it a lottery as to whether what your child receives is mercury free?

And then they wonder why we can't trust the likes of Mr Blair, when quite clearly we are being lied to about most things.

Furball- the brand being used as the booster may well not contain thimerosil. It is being phased out as the stocks containing thimerosil are used up. I would just recommend checking as the day I nosed through the fridge with the practice nurse they clearly did- but this was in the pre-booster days.

if the govt has arranged with a particular company to provide all the boosters they may well not contain thimerosil. No harm in asking to see the ingredients though.

The vaccine-info link I gave further down provides manufacturers info sheets on some jabs- and their contrindications. May be worth having a nose through- they may have the hib jab up there by now-I haven't looked.

Actually they make fascinating reading. For example did you know that the dtp is contraindicated (by the manufacturers) for people with epilepsy? (I assume becuase of pertussis). Yet how on earth would you know that an 8 week old baby had epilepsy? And I have a feeling that if a baby did have a seizure following dtp you would be reassured that it was just a febrile convulsion and encouraged to have dtp again.

Does anyone know what has replaced thimerosil as a preservative? Just interested.

We chose to go ahead with the booster (this Tues just gone)as our DD has been fine with all her vaccinations and at the time I felt that the pros outweighed the cons...She is a very healthy and happy 2 yr old so not concerned at all on the day. She went very quiet immediately after the jab (wobbly lip, didn?t cry, mum nearly did...) and by early eve. was clearly unwell. Restless night, temp. slowly going through the roof. By the morning she was as ill as I have ever seen her - quite scary. She had terrible diarrohea and vomiting, very high temp (well over 40.5) bright red skin rash at site of jab and refusing to eat/drink. She was also very listless, constantly wimpering in a heart breaking way and slept at least 70% of the day. After several calls to NHS direct, failed to get through to the health visitor and fobbed off a couple of times by the doctor, finally got a doctor out at 10pm that night. He was quick but fairly good. Confirmed that the time scale looked like it was direct result of the jab (not a sicky child and we haven?t come down with any bugs) - rare to have a reaction apparently... To cut a long story short, with the threat of dehydration leading to a hospital stay and a drip, we spent entire night sponging her down and fordce feeding her little tea spoons of water, fever broke the following morning and is almost back to normal now. We are so relieved she is starting to eat again as she is still so listless and clearly not 100%. The whole house has felt like a war zone since Tues with hardly any housework done, empty calpol bottles filling the bin and the thermometer constantly to hand...and this was just a "reaction" - what on earth do they put in those things?!! Before hand I would have said that a couple of days being a little under the weather for the added potential protection against such awful bugs like meningitis is definitely worth it - not sure now. Will think very carefully about any future jabs and exactly how beneficial they are - this one could well have been totally unnecessary and almost hospitalised our little girl...

how awful for you and your poor little one sripeymouse, I really hope she is on the mend.My dd has had two awful tummy bugs which have caused similar syptoms, one of them came on the day she had her mumps jab....makes you wonder doesn't it ? will keep fingers crossed for you, there is nothing more scary and exhausted than having a sick shild, best of luck.I am SO NOT going to get my dd boosted !!!

Stripeymouse - hope your dd is much better soon. How awful for you.

Does anyone know how long it can be for the reaction to take effect? dd (14 months) and ds (nearly 4) had their hibs booster 11 days ago. It was awful for ds as he is autistic and it took 2 of us to hold him down. After he screamed not in pain but in anger and nothing would console him till I had an idea of asking him to open the automatic doors and he stopped as if by magic. However I've just had a letter in saying he needs to have ALL his injections again for the pre-school boosters. I really don't know what to do about this. He was late with the MMR (21 months) so am not in a hurry for that.

Anyway to return to my question. ds was fine with the hibs and dd apparently was too till 8 days after when she became very listless and off her food. This got worse and she slept for ages on Thur and practically slept all of yesterday. She seems a bit better this morning but still clingy and not eating. I didn't think this would still be going on at this stage but maybe it takes a few weeks to work its way through.