Vaccines Protect Immune-Compromised People Like Me
By: Tom, Father
My family and I have experienced firsthand both the relief of being covered by vaccines and the fear of contracting a deadly disease through exposure to others who have not been vaccinated.
My wife and I have three grown daughters. Our youngest is allergic to all trees, grasses, and flowers. She must visit her doctor’s office on a monthly basis to receive injections that enable her to live a normal life, as she encounters these allergens on a daily basis.
In 2013, I was diagnosed with a liver condition. When my liver is inflamed, it affects the function of not only my liver but also my kidneys, gallbladder, pancreas, and spleen. All of these organs can become susceptible to failure without warning.
After I received my diagnosis, because I was at high risk for reduced liver and immune system function and organ shutdown, I received the hepatitis A, hepatitis B, HIV, shingles and tetanus vaccines to better protect my body and continue to enjoy my quality of life. My family and I could then live with less fear about the risk of my exposure to these deadly diseases.
However, a recent experience brought all of these fears back to life. My youngest daughter attends college in North Carolina. In early October, the school informed us that there were 3 suspected cases of mumps on campus. Several days later, the number of cases jumped to 11 and then to 18. Some of these students missed weeks of classes, and a few students had to drop classes after more than 3 absences.
Our daughter must visit the same health center every week for allergy injections where the students were diagnosed with the mumps. Thankfully, because she received her MMR vaccine on schedule, she was still able to receive her injections with only a low risk of contracting the disease. However, we had planned that I would visit my daughter and drive her home for her mid-term break. Instead, because of the risk of my contracting mumps and the awful consequences that could result, I was unable to visit her school. When she came home on her own, we were forced to sanitize everything she brought with her so I wouldn’t be exposed to the disease.
A few parents who chose not to vaccinate their children put others at risk who have lower-functioning immune systems. People like me are at risk to dangerous complications of mumps, such as pancreatitis and organ failure, due to my already-compromised pancreas and other organs.
It is terrible that a disease from our grandparents’ generation is resurfacing because parents are disregarding vaccination recommendations that are closely monitored for safety. I hope that other parents will read my story and make the choice to vaccinate their children. They will be saving not only their own family’s lives, but other lives as well.
(Mumps outbreaks can still occur in U.S. communities of people who previously had one or two doses of MMR vaccine. This is particularly common in close-contact settings. High vaccination coverage helps limit the size, duration, and spread of mumps outbreaks.)