Does anyone know a doctor who will test for any antibodies for vaccinations boosters?
We have been given the runaround with our pediatrician. She says that if we test for antibodies, there is no clear measure for how much is sufficient to know whether boosters are necessary. I feel she doesn't want to do anything other than the recommended schedule and not deviate. Obviously, someone has decided that boosters are necessary for some vaccines and this is clearly based on antibody level and someone in the government has determined a sufficient level to indicate when a booster is necessary. Our pedi told us we can immunize with whatever schedule we choose, but she is no support with things like measuring antibody levels. She said we could have the test done, but she would not be able to interpret the results. Is there a pediatrician who can???
Better yet, is there any public information about what the sufficient levels of antibodies are so that we as parents can decide for ourselves??
Any doctor can send these tests to a lab to get your results. Let them know you need your "Titers" done. This is what the test is called to check antibodies in your blood stream.:)
Your pedi or family doctor should be able to order the test. It is just a blood test, nothing big. My son has had his antibodies checked a few times because some of them did not take and he almost died of catching whooping cough. (he is a preemie, so low immune system).
But it is just a blood test, any doctor can order it. As for the cost, I am not sure. Our insurance covers labs at 100%, so it would just depend on what your insurance coverage is.
As to the pp who said you would not have antibodies unless you have been exposed. Not true, you will have antibodies if the immunization was taken by your body. For my son, his body rejected it and the doctors wanted to reimmunize him for the certain vaxs that did not take. If it is a booster, there is a possibility that your body could still contain the antibodi. GL!
You don't say which antibodies you want tested. There are many, many, many. In the past, you asked about antibodies for vaccinations. And, I don't know of a single doctor that uses that approach, since it goes against the prevalent theories that we all need vaccinations (which I honestly don't agree, with, but that's not the question you're asking). I'm not a doctor, but know a little bit about antibodies. To even have antibodies, your child would have had to have been exposed to whatever you're wanting to test against. I do know some of the natural veterinarians will run antibody tests before RE-vaccinating pets (e.g.., if a cat still has Feline leukemia antibodies from a previous vaccination, then they may not re-vaccinate, yet). But, even for pets, the law gets in the way as they must be revaccinated on schedule for things like rabies. I can see your point about testing for things like tetanus (i.e., why redo that vaccination so frequently if you still have antibodies). But, for things that only require one shot, it doesn't seem so logical. And, even if they did test for antibodies and your child somehow had them (i.e. perhaps it's possible for some to develop in the fetus or through breastfeeding), that still doesn't get you out of having to do the vaccinations for the school systems. The good news is that they have removed the thimersol (mercury based preservative linked to Autism) from the majority (if not all) childhood vaccinations. The bad news is that the vaccines still have things like aluminum and other neurotoxins as preservatives. So, your best bet would be to try to find someone that does preservative-free vaccinations.
Any doctor should be able to order tests to check for antibodies. You would just need to ask. I've only been tested for chicken pox and measles I think. I don't know which other ones you can test for and I imagine it might not be cheap.
