Baby Griffin is measles-free, mom confirms after an agonizing week of isolation

[Omaha Steve]

Source: The Star

Jennifer White, who wrote a much-shared Facebook post blasting anti-vaxxers, is glad to see the end of a 21-day period after his possible exposure to measles.

By: Katrina Clarke

It’s a happy ending for Jennifer White and her healthy, smiling baby boy.

Baby Griffin was just 15 days old when a measles-infected person shared the same Markham doctor’s waiting room with him in late January, in turn possibly exposing him to measles.

White put herself and her unvaccinated son in self-imposed isolation for a week — waiting anxiously for the 21-day measles incubation period to pass.

At 2 p.m. Tuesday, that point came.

FULL story at link.



Griffin White was just 15 days old when he was potentially exposed to measles at a Markham doctor's office in late January. After a week-plus of self-imposed isolation by mom Jennifer, Griffin is now confirmed to be measles-free.

Read more: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/02/17/baby-griffin-is-measles-free-mom-confirms-after-an-agonizing-week-of-quarantine.html

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See this earlier LBN story: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141016075

[Chemisse]

1. Much drama about next to nothing.

Since this baby almost certainly had immunity from his mother, and will for some months to come.

But mother sure got a lot of attention over it.

[csziggy]

4. Hopefully she got the attention of ant-vaxxers and made them think

About possible consequences of their selfish decisions.

Immunity conferred from the mother is not guaranteed so exposure to a very contagious disease like measles is still extremely worrying especially to a mother who had lost one child.

[DeSwiss]

5. +1000

- And she's not the only one getting attention......

[LeftishBrit]

16. Probably baby was still immune; but you can't fully rely on it

If a young baby does get measles, it can have serious consequences, and probably doesn't even immunize them for the future (see my other post).

Mum did get some attention; but fortunately so did the problem of unvaccinated kids.

[NickB79]

22. Your concern for the health of the baby in duly noted

[Chemisse]

23. Lol! I would've been concerned had there been a significant danger that he would actually get sick.

But it was exceedingly unlikely, which made this whole episode rather unseemly.

[CreekDog]

25. one infected person with measles on average infects 12 others

and this baby was exposed.

are you substituting "oh, everything will be fine" for science?

you shouldn't.

[Chemisse]

27. Babies are born with temporary immunity to this disease,

Provided the mother has either been infected with it or been inoculated for it.

The immunity lasts about 12 months in the children of those who have had the disease. Studies indicate it may not be as long in those babies whose mother only had a vaccine for it.

Either way, this infant was almost certainly NOT going to contract it.

I thought the mother's blog unnecessarily hyperbolic, but who's to say what is a normal response for a woman who has lost a child.

[NYC_SKP]

26. Whoosh!

Right over their head.

Everyone's a doctor when it comes to certain topics. I love the OMG WTF kinds of conversations that go on among laypeople who feel obliged to add their two cents.

Subtlety and humility are characteristics that seem to have all but vanished among our modern race of humans.

At least in this country!

[shenmue]

2. Thank goodness

[geomon666]

3. Not the baby griffin I was expecting

Good to hear that he's ok though.

[Liberal Veteran]

10. Same here. I was thinking "Wait? Griffins are reals?" -nt

[MADem]

17. Nor I.....

[jwirr]

6. Glad to hear it.

[diabeticman]

7. She screaming at the anti-vacs people yet her son hasn't been vaccinated

White put herself and her un vaccinated son in self-imposed isolation for a week — waiting anxiously for the 21-day measles incubation period to pass.


Granted I don't have kids but when I was born according to my shot record I got the MMR 3 days after I was born. the shot for Measles and mumps (I don't know what the R stands for)

[YarnAddict]

8. "R" is for rubella

I don't think they give the MMR that early. In fact, I believe it isn't given til a child is over a year old.

If you read the mom's original Facebook post you will understand the situation better, and will know that particular mother will do everything she can to protect her children from illnesses.

[diabeticman]

11. Thanks for the info. Maybe my shot rec was a mis-print I have been trying to load her original

post it won't come through.

[MADem]

18. If you were not born after 1971, you didn't get an MMR.

It was introduced in USA that year, and in UK in 1988.

[FSogol]

13. You are correct. MMR is a 2 stage vaccination, the 1st at 12-15 months and

Last edited Fri Feb 20, 2015, 08:24 AM - Edit history (1)

the 2nd part at age 4-6. Most schools require the 2nd before entering Kindergarten.

If you got the vaccination between 1963 and 1984, you probably need a booster.
If you got it before 1963 or after 1984 you are most likely safe.

Ask you doctor.

[3catwoman3]

20. Just so no one freaks out over what I know was a typo...

...my nurse practitioner background is compelled to point out that the second MMR is given between 4-6 years.

I hope I caused no offense.

[FSogol]

21. Forgoting the dash certainly changed that. Thanks for the correction. n/t

[uppityperson]

12. Rubella is German measles, the "R".

[CreekDog]

14. how can anyone think that a 15 day old baby is old enough to be vaccinated for MMR?

[LeftishBrit]

15. I'm surprised that you got it at 3 days; because the general consensus is that it doesn't work

before about a year. So the baby could not have been successfully vaccinated at this stage. Fortunately, he was probably still relatively immune due to maternal antibodies; but you can't always rely on this.

Indeed, people who caught measles as babies in the pre-vaccination past sometimes got it again later, because the first time was too early to 'take'. My dad had it twice for that reason, once at 6 months and once at 5 years.

So I'd suggest checking your immunity and perhaps getting a booster, if you're sure you got the vaccination at 3 days.

[dem in texas]

9. In 1963 took newborn home to older kids with measles

My 2 year old and 4 year old had red measles, but doctor said newborn baby Judy was immune and so I took her home, she did not get the measles. By the time she was 12 months old, the measles vaccine was available. Thank god for vaccines, I am old enough to remember all the damage childhood diseases did. The sickest I was ever in my life was when I was years old and got the red measles.

[midnight]

19. How lucky. Now they can get back to getting to know each other.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

24. Were they separated during their quarantine?

I thought the mother was with the kid during quarantine.

So I'm guessing no damage done to the kid. Mom's patience, on the other hand ...

[midnight]

28. As a parent, anytime an illness pops up- life takes a different tone.

Last edited Thu Feb 26, 2015, 01:48 PM - Edit history (1)

[Ilsa]

29. I believe they were quarantined together.

An infant needs to be held, not just have his physical needs tended to.