IABF%SNYCENVM.BITNET@oac.ucla.edu (Amy Francis) (09/27/90)
My friend, Dean, has a t-cell count of 8. He is currently seeking compound Q treatments and the doctor that he is seeking them from has told him that he needs a number of shots. One of them being a flu shot (and others that I can't remember). I'm curious, I thought that the theory behind innoculation was to give the patient a little of the disease or illness (ie: small pox) and let their immune system build up a resistance. If someone has a very low t-cell count couldn't that GIVE them what they're being innoculated against? Please, informed people, let me know the risks involved in innoculating someone with a very low count. Should it be done? etc... Also, if you can answer ASAP as my friend leaves for california in a little over a week. Thanks for your help. - Amy
jfh@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Jack Hamilton) (09/28/90)
In article <39403@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU> IABF%SNYCENVM.BITNET@oac.ucla.edu (Amy Francis) writes: >Please, informed people, let me know the risks involved in innoculating >someone with a very low count. Should it be done? etc... I'm not a doctor or a caretaker, but what I have read encourages vaccination when the risk of catching the disease is greater than the risk of the vaccination. If your friend is traveling to an area which is a hotbed of disease, a vaccination might be a good idea. Flu shots are tricky, because no one really knows what viruses are going to be active during the season, and you have to get the shots before the season starts. If the active flu viruses are influenza A, taking amantadine might be an alternative (anyone know if studies have been done on the interaction between amantadine and HIV?) If you are HIV- and you hang around people who are HIV+, you should get the flu vaccine. You might catch an asymptomatic case of the flu, and unknowingly spread it to people with weakened immune systems. -- Jack Hamilton jfh@netcom.uucp or netcom!jfh@apple.com