Rabies vacs vs. waiver?
 

I just got a new job as a vet tech while I save money for vet school. Since this is an emergency clinic, I'm required to either get a rabies vaccination or sign a waiver that states I understand that I will be exposed and I can't sue.

I remember when I was little I heard that the rabies vaccination for humans was dangerous and painful. Has anyone here had it done?

I would think that actually getting rabies would be more painful. And if you refused to get the vaccine and signed the waiver, you'd likely be liable for all the medical costs associated and any other damages if you did get bit by an animal with rabies.

I would go for the shot... why risk it?

http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/VIS/vis-rabies.pdf

It looks like the risk of complication is small, but if you're worried I'd speak with a doctor.

Re: Rabies vacs vs. waiver?
 

I think it used to be quite painful, when it was a series of shots given by a large needle in the abdomen post-infection. My understanding is that it now given with a more normal-sized needle in the arm and isn't that different from other shots.

If it's the pain you're worried about, why don't you ask people at the clinic who've had it.

In any event, if you plan on going to vet school, it seems like a wise vaccine to get sooner or later.

Butt-Head:cool,Does he have to like get a shot?
Doctor:No.
Beavis:cool!
Doctor:You have to get 18...
Butthead:cool!
Doctor:..in the stomach
Beavis:This sucks...aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

You might also want to check and see what the vaccine is preserved with. I generally decline vaccinations because mercury is routinely put into vaccines. There is some concern that this is why autism has skyrocketed in the USA.

My boyfriend has had it (after getting bit by a bat) and he said it wasn't too bad.

Actually, in a more comprehensive study than the one that initially suggested the vaccination in infants/toddlers caused autism, they showed there is no link between the two.

More likely, there seems to be an increase in children with Autistic spectrum disorder due to the fact children suspected of having an ASD are being assesed earlier using more defined guidelines.

Myth No. 5: Vaccines do not cause autism.
The jury is still out on this one. Although a recent Institute of Medicine report appears to refute an association between vaccines and autism, the major autism organizations all agree that more research needs to be conducted.
A recent study suggests that children receiving vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal are many times more likely to develop autism than those who receive thimerosal-free vaccines.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dl...380/-1/ZONES04

Why are you concerned about this as an adult? Doesn't autism usually develop in youth?

Somebody's column in the Indy Star is hardly a definitive medical reason, even if she is an "autism/behavioral specialist."

While I do agree more research needs to be done, and it is better to have mercury-free vaccinations, it is not possible to claim that vaccinations (specifically the MMR vax) causes Autism in children, especially since the study that first brought up the connection was highly flawed and used a ridiculously small sample of children.

I'm doing a lot of research into vaccinations right now as my son is due for his first round next week and we're not sure we want to give them yet.

Why does everything here always have to be an argument?!!! If you don't agree with me, then fine.. go get mercury shot in your arm. I personally, don't want that poison in me, which is why I get white fillings in my cavaties instead of silver.

I also buy the majority of my foods from Whole Foods because I don't want chicken shot up with anti-biotics, nor do I want bovine hormone in my milk. And I don't eat beef unless it comes from a source which only feeds organic vegetable feed. I'm not convinced our beef supply is safe from Mad Cow-- especially after researching how lax our government is. (Why do you think Japan boycotted US meat?)

So, go ahead.. be my guest... have all the mercury you want in your system. Put your head in the sand and convince yourself that everything is hunky dorie because the government wouldn't dare let anything harmful out there. (Hmmm... Vioxx? Phen Phen?)

Eat those hydrogenized oils... and all that poison that the government allows. Smoke those cigarrettes. It's your body, be my guest.. kill yourself slowly if you wish.

Don't shoot the messenger.

You were free to share your viewpoint, why were others not allowed to share theirs? And to provide counterpoints to yours? None of the posts were nasty or attacking, then you flip out in this post.

<<<You were free to share your viewpoint, why were others not allowed to share theirs? And to provide counterpoints to yours? None of the posts were nasty or attacking, then you flip out in this post.>>

Thanks mom.

That's fine, but this is an interesting topic for debate. Just because you believe something doesn't mean it's Gospel truth. There are plenty of people who eat beef and buy chicken from generic grocery stores and get their shots and are perfectly healthy, and there are people who go your route and end up with health problems. It's not your place (or anyone else's on this site) to be lecturing people about their lifestyles.

It's not shooting the messenger; it's having a back-and-forth that's called debate. Telling people that they're killing themselves slowly because they don't live your way is a bit overdramatic.

It's also not possible yet to rule it out yet, and a great deal of the circumstantial evidence does raise questions. Anecdotal without a doubt, but I know too many parents and doctors who can pinpoint a change in children to the time of vaccines. As blueangel said, the jury is still out.

As the parent of an ASD kid, I tend to think that lots of factors are going into the rise in ASDs -- vaccines may be one, and I (with admittedly little scientific evidence to go on) have suspicions about the rise in ASDs as compared to the introduction and increase of high fructose corn syrup and other artificial ingredients in foods. And while I think part of the rise in ASDs is due to better and earlier diagnoses, one has to wonder why the rate in the US is so much higher than in other western countries.

From what our doctors tell us, it may be less that vaccines "cause" autism, and more that some kids are particularly sensitive to certain things, such as the mercury in vaccines, and for those kids, it triggers a problem.

Quote:

I'm doing a lot of research into vaccinations right now as my son is due for his first round next week and we're not sure we want to give them yet.

Good luck!
Seemed like more of a discussion than an argument to me.

Quote:

I also buy the majority of my foods from Whole Foods because I don't want chicken shot up with anti-biotics, nor do I want bovine hormone in my milk.

We but a lot at Whole Paycheck, too. But don't fool yourself into thinking that just because it's sold there, it's completely healthy or untainted.

Quote:

So, go ahead.. be my guest... have all the mercury you want in your system. Put your head in the sand and convince yourself that everything is hunky dorie because the government wouldn't dare let anything harmful out there. (Hmmm... Vioxx? Phen Phen?) Eat those hydrogenized oils... and all that poison that the government allows. Smoke those cigarrettes. It's your body, be my guest.. kill yourself slowly if you wish.

You said it yourself -- the jury is still out on vaccines and autism. So why would you assume that someone who questions whether there is a connection has their head in the sand and cares nothing about their own health?

I was just going to say this - contrary to what some people believe, not everything sold at Whole Foods is organic/preservative free. This is stated right next to the food, and some people still don't get it...

Definitely - I'm surprised how many people shop there and just assume that everything is organic/preservative free. They definitely tell you what is and what isn't.

Look, I was just trying to be helpful and give the original poster something to think about. I offered a link. That's all. I'll remember not to share any information that might be helpful in the future.

And yes, I know how to read "organic" and "conventional" at Whole Foods. Geeez.

So nothing you say can be questioned? If someone has another viewpoint, they should just keep their mouth shut?

You went off on a tangent because someone questioned you. I guess I just don't understand that.

That wasn't directed at you specifically, just a sidebar as we were discussing the store. One of my coworkers was like "I feed my baby everything organic, we only shop at Whole Foods" and when I told her everything there ISN'T organic she looked at me like I said the Easter Bunny was hopping down the hall.

They've done a great job of self promotion and branding, for real.

You were helpful. Please continue to offer helpful info in the future. You just don't need to blow a gasket and ask why everything on GreekChat has to turn into an argument (which this wasn't) if someone else, also trying to be helpful, offers information from another perspective.

And for what it's worth, I never assumed you can't read "organic" and "conventional." As 33girl said, that was made as a general comment. But there are degrees of "organic," and quite a few people don't know that the "industrialized organic" at Whole Foods isn't really what they envision when they see food labeled "organic."

I, too, was trying to be helpful.

blueangel, don't you think you created this argument yourself?

I know it's not possible to completely rule it out, but I don't think anyone can fully claim strong evidence that it causes it either. I think there are a number of factors that come into play.

blueangel
I'm hardly arguing with you. If you'll read my post, you'll see I agree it's better to have mercury-free vaccinations, especially with infants and toddlers. I'm just saying no one can claim that vaccinations *cause* autism. You're the one who went off on the whole organic/health tangent. With anything in life, each person has to weigh the benefits and risks of their chosen lifestyle and make their personal decisions for themselves.

I pretty much agree. My anecdotal, not scientific, evidence leads me to think that vaccines may be one of those factors. That's about as far as I'm willing to go on that, until more scientific evidence is accumulated.

Thank you. This is the type of information I was looking for.

I scheduled the first round of the rabies vac for next week. (I have to wait for them to get the shot in airgun. I don't do needles.)

He had it with needles - I have no idea if that makes a difference or not.

So, how does that work with the airgun?? That sounds way more painful!

Yep. And considering the original poster is an adult, she doesn't have to worry about developing autism from the vaccination.

blueangel, nobody attacked you. Just as you stated your opinion, so did the other posters.

Basically it blows the medicine through your pores. It makes a harder knot in your skin than a traditional injection, but it's a small trade off for not going insane about a shot.

That was part of my fear of getting the vaccination, if it was still in the abdomen it's a rather large needle.

You'd probably be better off buying stuff from a small organic grocery (which would be a lot more upfront about the origins of the food) than Whole Paycheck, which I'm realizing is just a crunchy granola supermarket for the BoBo set. I'm just saying...

Wow, that sounds WAY more painful to me. I'd be more scared about that.

None of the vet techs or vets I know have gotten the vaccine. None of my family or our employees have gotten it either. The vets have told is that it doesn't really make sense to get it unless it is needed.

This is an emergency clinic though, and apparently there have been problems in the past, so this is to protect the clinic as much as me.

I have a phobia with needles. I can deal with injecting/withdrawing from the animals, but the second I see a needle near a human, especially me, I freak. The physical pain of the airgun is less to me than the emotional pain of the needle.

Just food for thought: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...&dopt=Abstract

Remember that a greater chance of autism may be caused by expsoure to mercury, and that there are multiple routes of exposure.

One thing I remember reading a long time ago suggested that mothers with more mercury fillings were more likely to children with autism than mothers with less mercury fillings.

Keep in mind that thinking about health can be complex. For example, strep bacteria causes strep throat . . .

But what if the strep bacteria grew out of hand because you took product X that lowered your immune system. What caused the strep throat? The bacteria or the product x? Or both?