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DPT Vaccine -- What is it and is it SAFE?

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It's is a mixture of three vaccines: to immunize against diphtheria, pertussis [whooping cough] and tetanus.

 

It also comes with its risks of adverse reactions, although it has been "reported" that severe problems closely following DPT immunization happen very rarely.  If you were to ask my mother about the DPT Vaccine of the early 1950s, she may tell you a different story about how safe it WAS. 

You see, I had an older brother, Bruce Alan.  He received the DPT Vaccine as directed, however, he was one of those reportedly "rare cases" of the severest of adverse reactions requiring hospitalization for high fever and uncontrollable seizures.  He quickly became a "test subject" for the Cleveland Clinic.  Unfortunately, there was not much that could be done for him.  He died shortly after his fourth birthday!

What is the DPT Vaccine? 

DPT, (sometimes DTP) is a mixture of three vaccines, to immunize against diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) and tetanus.

DTP vaccine may be distinguished as "DTwP" and "DTaP", with "wP" referring to "whole cell pertussis" and "aP" referring to "acellular pertussis". (The acellular form is considered safer and contains far fewer antigens than the older preparation.) Current versions of DTP in Europe do not contain preservatives; older ones contained Thiomersal. In the Netherlands, DTP refers to a mixture of diphtheria, tetanus and poliomyelitis vaccines.
--wikipedia.com.

What do you think? Anyone out there ? 

How do you feel about the DPT of the 1950s?

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There were many adverse reactions.

Adverse reactions were under-reported.

 
 
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What is Diphtheria? 


Diphtheria (Greek (diphthera) - "pair of leather scrolls"), is an upper respiratory tract illness characterized by sore throat, low fever, and an adherent membrane (a pseudomembrane) on the tonsils, pharynx, and/or nasal cavity. A milder form of diphtheria can be restricted to the skin. It is caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, a facultatively anaerobic Gram-positive bacterium.

Diphtheria is a highly contagious disease spread by direct physical contact or breathing the aerosolized secretions of infected individuals. Once quite common, diphtheria has largely been eradicated in developed nations through wide-spread vaccination. In the United States for instance, between 1980 and 2004 there have been 57 reported cases of diphtheria (and only five cases since 2000 as the DPT (Diphtheria-Pertussis-Tetanus) vaccine is given to all school children. Boosters of the vaccine are recommended for adults since the benefits of the vaccine decrease with age; they are particularly recommended for those traveling to areas where the disease has not been eradicated.
--wikipedia.com.

What is Pertussis? 

Also known as Whooping Cough

Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, a highly contagious disease caused by the bacterium, Bordetella pertussis; it derived its name from a characteristic severe hacking cough followed by intake of breath that sounds like 'whoop'; a similar, milder disease is caused by B. parapertussis. Although many medical sources describe the whoop as "high-pitched," this is generally the case with infected babies and children only, not adults.

Worldwide, there are 30-50 million pertussis cases and about 300,000 deaths per year. Despite generally high coverage with the DTP and DTaP vaccines, pertussis is one of the leading causes of vaccine-preventable deaths world-wide. Most deaths occur in young infants who are either unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated; three doses of the vaccine are necessary for complete protection against pertussis.
--wikipedia.com.

What is Tetanus? 

Commonly referred to as Lockjaw

Tetanus is a medical condition that is characterized by a prolonged contraction of skeletal muscle fibers. The primary symptoms are caused by tetanospasmin, a neurotoxin produced by the Gram-positive, obligate anaerobic bacterium Clostridium tetani.

Infection generally occurs through wound contamination, and often involves a cut or deep puncture wound. As the infection progresses, muscle spasms in the jaw develop hence the common name, lockjaw. This is followed by difficulty swallowing and general muscle stiffness and spasms in other parts of the body. Infection can be prevented by proper immunization and by post-exposure prophylaxis.
--wikipedia.com.

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations 

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations

Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 07/19/2008)

In this book, Dr. Stephanie Cave explains vaccinationsthe pros and the cons. With detailed facts about each vaccination, as well as regulations and laws, this book provides easily understandable information to help parents make a knowledgeable, responsible choice about vaccinating their children.

Stephanie Cave, M.D., is a family practitioner in Baton Rouge who specializes in children with autism and related disorders. She has been featured on CNN regarding children and vaccinations and testified in congressional hearings in July 2000.

Severe problems with DPT?

Severe problems closely following DPT immunization happen very rarely. These include a serious allergic reaction, prolonged seizures, a decrease in consciousness, lasting brain disease, or even death.

Report on the first symptoms of neurological damage 

In 1994, the Institute of Medicine of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences published a report stating that if the first symptoms of neurological damage occurred within the first seven days following vaccination with whole-cell pertussis vaccine, the evidence was compatible with the possibility that it could be the cause of permanent brain damage in otherwise apparently healthy children. It continued by stating:

This serious acute neurologic response to DPT is a rare event. The estimated excess risk ranged from 0 to 10.5 per million immunizations (IOM, 1991). The committee stresses that this is not the strongest statement regarding causality; the evidence does not "establish" or "prove" a causal relation....

The evidence remains insufficient to indicate the presence or absence of a causal relation between DPT and chronic nervous system dysfunction under any other circumstances. That is, because the NCES is the only systematic study of chronic nervous system dysfunctions after DPT, the committee can only comment on the causal relation between DPT and those chronic nervous system dysfunctions under the conditions studied by the NCES. In particular, it should be noted that the chronic nervous system dysfunctions associated with DPT followed a serious acute neurologic illness that occurred in children within 7 days after receiving DPT.

Boy in the Window 

Boy in the Window

Amazon Price: $29.19 (as of 07/19/2008)

It was the miraculous discovery of my son's genius that almost went unnoticed. If not for a very sharp and intuitive young man working as Kenny's aide at school, the desire to write about my son would not have arisen. Kenny, who has always been extremely hard to manage since his devastating shot, and the behaviors that most professionals felt warranted institutionalization, is as mysterious as his uncanny abilities.

Though his genius levels have not made him rational or easier to manage, it gives hope and encouragement for parents that have given up the possibility that their child, because he/she can't talk, is unintelligent. And if they try the method in my book, called facilitation, they might be extremely surprised and shocked. But more than anything else, my book is about the daily challenges and unconditional love in raising someone like Kenny. That love has taken me down every avenue, in spite of the hardships, in hopes of getting him better.

He was a perfectly normal and beautiful baby until the day he got his d.p.t. shot at 19 months old. Since that tragic day, there has never been a time without worry over Kenny, or a month of another impossible behavior to contend with.

Only .0007%?

Such severe neurologic events occur after approximately 1 in 140,000 doses of the DPT vaccine (0.0007%). Most of the reactions to DPT injection are thought to be from the pertussis component.

The buzz on the DPT Vaccine 

DPT vaccine and infection
A study of 82 infants followed for a month before and another month after DPT (diphtheria-pertussis-...
EARLIER VACCINATION CAUSES ASTHMA
But the evidence that vaccine administration, especially early administration of DPT vaccine, increa...
DPT immunization and brain damage
The patients of an 8-year-old girl who sustained permanent brain damage after a diphtheria-pertussis...
EFFECTIVENESS OF DPT VACCINE
Under the Universal Immunization Programme, Infants are vaccinated with DPT vaccine at the age of 6,...

DPT: A Shot in the Dark 

A Shot in the Dark

Amazon Price: $11.16 (as of 07/19/2008)

In a world filled with drug ads, it's hard to find the truth about medicine. Newspapers and magazines aren't going to risk losing all that ad revenue by telling the truth about drugs, including vaccines. That's why every parent should read this book. At least you'll be able to make an informed decision about which drugs to have pumped into your children's bodies. The material in this book is all documented and factual and it provides a fascinating, though at times frightening, look at the vaccine industry today.

"The P in the DPT Vaccine may be hazardous to your child's health."

The news on the DPT Vaccine 

Civic hospitals go without DPT
Most civic hospitals and health posts in the city and other parts of the state do not have the DPT v...
Lot quality survey: an appealing method for rapid evaluation of ...
Vaccine-preventable diseases cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide and in developing c...
Immune Design Aiming To Make Vaccines That Work Better in a Single ...
One example that symbolizes room for improvement is the DPT vaccine, Reed says. Infants in the US ha...
A Doctor’s Dilemma
... year of the annual fundraiser for Shalva, an organization founded by the parents of a child who...

Drop me a line ... 

Are you familiar with any adverse reactions to the DPT vaccine? Know someone? Your comments are welcome.

health_advisor

Very informative.
Great lens. Rated it 5 stars.
Feel free to visit sexual health.

Posted June 12, 2008

AdamHall

Hi

Wow, good lens, I have been looking at healthy lungs, colds, flu,
chest infections for my medical research paper and your information
has proved to be very valuable!
Well done!

Adam Hall

Bronchitis Cure

Posted March 06, 2008

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