1. < Blood Cancers & Disorders

Unvaccinated grandchildren

Posted by bmoneyc @bmoneyc, Jun 12 6:28pm

Hey all, I am recently diagnosed and have been inspired by many of you. I know we are supposed to be careful to avoid sickness or infection. I have some grandchildren that are unvaccinated. Am I okay to be with them, do I need to take any precautions? Thank you!

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treehouse5437 | @treehouse5437 | 5 days ago

Yes & I still mask up indoors when out socially- personal choice for my health.

REPLY
Mentor
Miriam, Volunteer Mentor | @mir123 | 5 days ago
In reply to @loribmt "Hi @vicky58 For anyone who is immunocompromised, masks still remain one of the most helpful tools..." + (show)
@loribmt

Hi @vicky58 For anyone who is immunocompromised, masks still remain one of the most helpful tools we have to avoid airborne illnesses; along with frequent handwashing, use of hand sanitizers and avoiding situations of exposure.

When our immune systems are compromised we have a difficult time fighting diseases. Even something simple like the common cold can become a major ordeal. So, whether we have cancer, or undergoing treatments, taking meds that lower our immunity, or any number of chronic diseases that reduce our ability to fight bacterial, viral or fungal infections, it’s important to try and avoid the issues altogether.

Countless studies confirm the efficacy of wearing masks to help avoid illness. People who are ill can also wear masks to avoid sharing their disease with others. It’s the polite thing to do.

Here’s an excerpt from a Mayo study. “Compared with a baseline of 1-foot separation with no masks employed, particle count was reduced by 84% at 3 feet of separation and 97% at 6 feet. A modest decrease in particle count was observed when only the receiver was masked. The most substantial exposure reduction occurred when the aerosol source was masked (or both parties were masked). When both the source and target were masked, particle count was reduced by more than 99.5% of baseline, regardless of separation distance or which type of mask was employed.”
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(21)00401-8/abstract
~~~
It’s obviously a personal choice to wear masks. I still mask up in social settings, riding elevators, crowded events or even family gatherings if we’re in close contact. My friends and relatives are respectful of my health and ask if they should mask up too. Unless they’re ill, I say no. I’m comfortable with my level of protection with my N-95 mask.

Did you wear a mask during the major Covid outbreak?

Jump to this post

I spent a month in Japan several years before COVID. It was winter, and people masked frequently. It is considered polite and caring to mask if you have even a sniffle. People often wore masks on trains, and I had a friend who wore a mask when on her bicycle--but that was mostly against traffic pollution. Masks were as ordinary as a hat. I found it a great custom and inspiring once COVID arrived. It is just a non-issue in parts of Asia. Anyway, Lori, obviously a mask is essential for you. I also hope that any mask wearing normalizes it and makes it unremarkable. It is very strange to me that in the U.S. people comment on masks or are averse. It's just a cultural prejudice--not universal.

REPLY
vicky58 | @vicky58 | 5 days ago
In reply to @loribmt "Hi @vicky58 For anyone who is immunocompromised, masks still remain one of the most helpful tools..." + (show)
@loribmt

Hi @vicky58 For anyone who is immunocompromised, masks still remain one of the most helpful tools we have to avoid airborne illnesses; along with frequent handwashing, use of hand sanitizers and avoiding situations of exposure.

When our immune systems are compromised we have a difficult time fighting diseases. Even something simple like the common cold can become a major ordeal. So, whether we have cancer, or undergoing treatments, taking meds that lower our immunity, or any number of chronic diseases that reduce our ability to fight bacterial, viral or fungal infections, it’s important to try and avoid the issues altogether.

Countless studies confirm the efficacy of wearing masks to help avoid illness. People who are ill can also wear masks to avoid sharing their disease with others. It’s the polite thing to do.

Here’s an excerpt from a Mayo study. “Compared with a baseline of 1-foot separation with no masks employed, particle count was reduced by 84% at 3 feet of separation and 97% at 6 feet. A modest decrease in particle count was observed when only the receiver was masked. The most substantial exposure reduction occurred when the aerosol source was masked (or both parties were masked). When both the source and target were masked, particle count was reduced by more than 99.5% of baseline, regardless of separation distance or which type of mask was employed.”
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(21)00401-8/abstract
~~~
It’s obviously a personal choice to wear masks. I still mask up in social settings, riding elevators, crowded events or even family gatherings if we’re in close contact. My friends and relatives are respectful of my health and ask if they should mask up too. Unless they’re ill, I say no. I’m comfortable with my level of protection with my N-95 mask.

Did you wear a mask during the major Covid outbreak?

Jump to this post

Hello.... I will not go into the protocols regarding the various cases where you have to wear a mask in the hospital. I would like to talk about the Covid-19 global health protocol in depth, but I personally believe that this topic has more of a population control aspect than a health one. Anyway, to answer your question if I used the mask during the Covid period. The answer is no Good day

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christina3444 | @christina3444 | 5 days ago
In reply to @vicky58 "Why the mask? to protect themselves from whom or what?" + (show)
@vicky58

Why the mask? to protect themselves from whom or what?

Jump to this post

Thanks.

REPLY
Mentor
Cheryl, Volunteer Mentor | @cehunt57 | 5 days ago
In reply to @gramma62 "I did not mean to offend anyone by my post. All I was trying to say..." + (show)
@gramma62

I did not mean to offend anyone by my post. All I was trying to say is not to live in fear. God has numbered our days, we will not live a day longer than what He has ordained for us. I’ve had shots for polio and measles.

Jump to this post

@gramma62 and @drawlings0803 hi. I am a fellow Christian believer too. I want to share my story as I think it is relates to the vaccination topic at hand. 20 years ago I had a pancreas transplant. I considered it to be a gift from God and my own personal miracle. I was conflicted about taking the immune suppression medication to prevent rejection of the transplanted organ. Another wise believer pointed out that while the transplanted pancreas was a gift from God, the immune suppression medication was too. As a believer I want to be a good steward of the gifts I’ve been given. This includes vaccines, medications, treatments, my medical providers ….etc. In the Bible James 1:17 says that every good and perfect gift is from God.

I consider my children and grandchildren gifts also. During the worst of the COVID pandemic when vaccines became available I wholeheartedly got mine (I am immune suppressed after all). My two daughters and their families had different approaches. My oldest daughter has an anti vaccine mentality. She and her husband both had COVID several times but their three children never did. My youngest daughter has a disposition to get vaccinations. Her whole family got them. Still she and their three children got COVID anyways.

I think the bottom line is (regardless of your beliefs) to take care of yourself as best you can, use and be thankful for the resources you have available.

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drawlings0803 | @drawlings0803 | 4 days ago

I got the COVID vaccine 3 times & still got COVID. It is my feeling that 1) that virus is constantly mutating and 2) maybe you still got COVID, but the symptoms were milder because you’d gotten the vaccine.
I have friends & coworkers in the medical field who to this day are antivaxers.
We agree to disagree.

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alive | @alive | 4 days ago

I am almost 9 years post stem cell transplant for AML, a Christian. I really don’t have any problems taking the vaccines that are needed for my health. I view them the same way as taking the much needed medications that keep me healthy.

Concerning unvaccinated grandchildren, if your immune system is compromised or suppressed, mention that to your kids. They may not take vaccination seriously, but they don’t want to lose you when one of their kids infects you!

My daughter gave birth to her first child a month and a half after my transplant. Since babies cannot be vaccinated right away, my daughter and I worked out a plan. If she was coming to visit and her son had any symptoms of a cold, she wouldn’t visit until her son recovered.

If you are going to a gathering with a lot of people, bring the best mask you can get. After my transplant, I preferred meeting with others outside, if possible.

I remember going to church one time, about half a year after my transplant and one of the people close by was coughing quite badly, so I asked my husband if we could move to the very back. I was wearing my mask at that time, but wanted to be careful anyway.

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