Immunisation question.

NUTLEY BOY

This is not a request for medical advice.
This is a general medical question arising from a discussion.

In discussion recently with older members of the tribe who are 65 years and over I was quite shocked to realise that most of them have no idea if they were ever immunised for anything and, if so, for what. They don't even have the classic vaccination mark on their upper arms.

Are there any blood tests that indicate the following ;

1. If a person has ever received a particular vaccine ?
2. If a person has ever been exposed to particular conditions such as measles ?

angeldelight

For lots of diseases it is possible to check whether a person has immunity to it already - it wouldn’t tell you whether they’re immune due to being vaccinated or due to being exposed to it

RoamingDoc

You can test for immunity certainly.

Generally it's not usually possible to test for vaccination or natural infection derived immunity without very very expensive assays that offer no useful information outside of a pure research lab.

Some conditions can be checked though e.g. if you are immune through vaccination to Hepatitis B you will have anti-surface antigen antibodies but will not have anti-core antibodies. If it is immune through natural infection there will be both anti-surface antigen and anti-core antibodies present.

The classic vaccination mark generally only exists for BCG, other vaccines don't get that scarring effect like that one or smallpox.

witchgirl26

As angeldelight says, a blood test will tell you an immunity level but won't highlight if it's source. The vaccination mark on upper arms is from the BCG which was only introduced in 1953 and at that point was only given to people over 14. It was only in the 1960's that it was given to babies. Could explain why they don't have it.

RoamingDoc

witchgirl26 wrote: »

introduced in 1953 and at that point was only given to people over 14. It was only in the 1960's that it was given to babies.

Do you have a source or reference for this or is it something you just know or were told about?
I've been trying for years to find a comprehensive history of vaccination protocols and guidelines for Ireland but have had almost no luck.

My patients are generally in the older age groups, where medical records aren't great and I can't really find out what was normal to be given for them.

Hence all the testing. Which I know I'd do anyway but it'd still be good to know.

It was much easier when I was in the UK tbh but even then it wasn't very easy, especially for people born well before the NHS.

witchgirl26

RoamingDoc wrote: »

Do you have a source or reference for this or is it something you just know or were told about?
I've been trying for years to find a comprehensive history of vaccination protocols and guidelines for Ireland but have had almost no luck.

My patients are generally in the older age groups, where medical records aren't great and I can't really find out what was normal to be given for them.

Hence all the testing. Which I know I'd do anyway but it'd still be good to know.

It was much easier when I was in the UK tbh but even then it wasn't very easy, especially for people born well before the NHS.

I got it from here: http://vk.ovg.ox.ac.uk/bcg-vaccine

It's probably a little more relevant to the UK but we generally used to follow their take on things. I also remember my mam telling me about it as she trained as a nurse in the early 70's so it would have been a more recent history for them.

RoamingDoc

Thank you.

I think we generally still do follow them for the most part but I'd love an actual book detailing exactly what was done, to who, and when.

Maybe I'll write it when I retire! :cool:

Dingle_berry

Some babies were given the BCG in a glute instead of arm so that may explain the lack of a scar on the arm for some.

RoamingDoc

Dingle_berry wrote: »

Some babies were given the BCG in a glute instead of arm

When starting some jobs in healthcare, you can be asked to demonstrate the BCG scar.

That must be slightly awkward for these people...

banoffe2

Zostavax vaccine to prevent Shingles, anyone have this one done, available in Boots €200