[at-l] Lyme Disease

[PSM111359@prodigy.net (Patti Miller)]

Are these Lyme Disease shots given to children?  Have there been test
studies done to determine safety of these shots  for children?  What are the
current recommendations concerning children who will be on the AT?

Patti
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gary Buffington" <gbuffmd@bigfoot.com>
To: "AT-L" <at-l@backcountry.net>
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2002 3:24 AM
Subject: [at-l] Lyme Disease


> I'm a retired ER doctor, and I've slept at many Holiday Inns.  In fact,
the
> Holiday Inn, of Erwin is my favorite!
> Lyme Disease is a very serious problem.  It is a very insidious disease.
> The ticks that cause it may be so small that you'll never find them.
These
> ticks are present a significant portion of the AT.  Most of the cases
> reported in the US are from Northern Virginia up into Connecticut give or
> take a state or two and the incidence map looks like a map of the trail.
I
> doubt that any of us Thru-hikers go unexposed.  Just because Sweet Pea and
I
> never saw a bear, doesn't mean none saw us!  And I'm afraid the same can
be
> said for the Lyme ticks.  We knew at least three (3) hikers who came down
> with Lyme Disease and they were all serious cases.  One of my medical
> colleagues (an infectious disease specialist) had to quit practice from a
> Lyme Disability and never knew of a tick bite.  Only about half of the
> patients get the red rash that is said to be diagnostic of the disease.
Not
> everyone has a positive blood test.  Often the diagnosis is on the
clinical
> picture only.  The disease can attack the skin, joints, heart and nervous
> system.  Some times the first findings are life threatening.  Several
years
> ago an AT hiker had to have a pacemaker because of Lyme Disease.   This
> disease should never be trivialized.
> Sweet Pea and I both got the Lyme Disease shots.  Although the standard
> therapy is shots at time zero, 1 month, and 1 year; we did zero, one month
> and six months.  There is some protection after one shot, considerable
> protection after two shots and more after three shots.  I don't know how
> long the protection lasts.  I have spoken with the company medical
director,
> and they are working on getting the recommendation for the last shot at
six
> months.  He is an arthritis specialist and says there have been no more
> cases of inflammatory arthritis in those who received the shot from those
> who did not.  Inflammatory arthritis has been one of the worries about the
> shot.
> Those leaving in March or April could get the first shot now and the
second
> shot a month later would be well before reaching the endemic area in
> Northern Virginia and further north.  We got our first shot in Virginia
and
> our second in Pennsylvania.  That was a little late, but we were covered
by
> two shots through most of the worst areas.  We got the shots so late
because
> I procrastinated on the need.
> I recommend the shots.
> Bear Bag, GA>ME 2000 with Sweet Pea
> Check us out at www.800WeSweat.com
>
>
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