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Posted 8/14/2016 8:21 AM (GMT -5)
Hi. My son was doing really well 7 months of remission with his uc.He had a meningitis vaccine 3 weeks ago and is now in a bad flare. Is their a connection.

Post Edited (alexandann) : 8/14/2016 7:32:26 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/14/2016 10:36 AM (GMT -5)
There are always variables depending on how he is doing in general, what meds, has he been having symptoms but not noting them.....the list continues.
I would say it can certainly tip the balance towards a flare if he's alreading in that direction or in a more fragile state depending on what else is going on in his life. So the answer would be more yes than no.

q
Posted 8/14/2016 1:20 PM (GMT -5)
My guess is YES, vaccines may very well trigger a flare. Attached is a listing of the most common adjuvants (extra ingredients) usually found in vaccines. I know for sure that foods processed with the polysorbate 80 ingredient can trigger a flare for me.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if some of the other ingredients typically found in vaccines such as formaldehyde, thimerosal (mercury), Phenol/Phenoxyethanol (antifreeze), etc., can also trigger flares in people.

factsonvax.com/vaccine-ingredients.html
Posted 8/14/2016 1:33 PM (GMT -5)
The meningitis vaccine is not given orally (or I don't think there is an oral version) so the compounds listed above are not going to trigger any reactions to them in the gut. There is nothing to be concerned with on that front whatsoever.

The issue is simply that just like a regular old flu, cold, or stomach bug 'activates' the immune system, so does a vaccine. They are designed to do so in order to stimulate long term memory cells.

Most people flare a little to a lot after a bug. The same can be expected for some vaccines depending upon specificity and the meningitis vaccine is more of a broad vaccine. My guess is it will pass in a week or so just like a regular bug. The immune system is extra active or 'stimulated' right now and that is most likely causing the current issue. It's probably also equally possible it is pure coincidence.

Post Edited (Canada Mark) : 8/14/2016 12:36:29 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/14/2016 6:26 PM (GMT -5)
The meningitis vaccine is not given orally so the compounds listed above are not going to trigger any reactions to them in the gut. There is nothing to be concerned with on that front whatsoever.

I hope you are correct about that. But I myself would avoid junk like formaldehyde and mercury whether it is ingested thru the gut or injected with a needle.
Posted 8/14/2016 6:40 PM (GMT -5)
Vaccines work by stimulating the immune system. If stimulated enough, this could IN THEORY trigger a flare.
Posted 8/14/2016 7:05 PM (GMT -5)
No, I don't believe vaccines trigger flares. No research evidence I've ever seen supports that accusation. Sometimes there's correlation without causation, a coincidence.
Posted 8/14/2016 8:18 PM (GMT -5)
I think the "stimulation" from a vaccine is mild enough, that if a flare seems to appear, then the flare was simmering just below clinical threshold before the shot.

Flares suck, but look at it as an added benefit of the vaccine: not only protection from meningitis, but also alerted to risky inflammation that raided his cancer risk.
Posted 8/16/2016 7:48 AM (GMT -5)
Without going much deep into vaccine and its effects, common sense tells you that vaccine works by stimulating immune system in certain way. IBD, being an autoimmune disease, any perturbation of 'balanced' immune system can result in flare.

As simple as flu vaccine can trigger troubles. At my work, we used to get free flu vaccine every year, parimarily because we were a hospital setting. No troubles until I was diagnosed with IBD. After than, every time, I took flu vaccine, I would get flu and then flare. I am taking it as coincidence if it happens, once, even twice. But if it has happened 5 consecutive years, then there is something more than coincidence. It was baffling. Finally, my GI told me, not to take any flu vaccine. Swine flu vaccine was the last one that I took and that year was miserable (3 shots in one year). I have not taken flu vaccine in last 6 years and only two flares. First one was a remnant of the previous flare (could not contain flare completely after swine flu vaccine) and second one was pure my stupidity by not controlling what I am eating.

Weather it is an aftermath of vaccine or something else, that will remain debatable till end of the time, primarily because there is so much of money in vaccine business. Plus, the vaccine manufacturers can not be sued for any adverse effects in the US. I would go with what your gut feeling is, instead of debating over the internet.
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