Hi Everyone-
I am a long time reader, but I have never posted up until now.  Since I am
a research tech in an immunology laboratory with a good background in the
field, I thought that maybe I could give some insight into this distemper
information.  I don't know specifics on distemper, but I am well versed in
antibody responses.  First of all, after consulting with my boss who is an
MD-PhD in Immunology, we cannot figure out why an animal would require
another distemper shot if it was infected with distemper.  Not only should
an infection with distemper give a very complete antibody response to the
virus (if the animal was fighting it off and not immunocompromised), but it
would also seem that an additional vaccination would make the animal sicker
by taxing the immune system further.  If it was an infection other than
distemper, it would make sense to get another vaccination, since the immune
system would be preoccupied with the new infection and therefore not
mounting a response to the vaccination.  However, this should probably be
done after the animal has recovered from infection so as not to interfere
with its immune system response to the active pathogen.  Basically, the
body will respond to vaccination by making cells that remember the disease
and will make antibodies to it.  However, in order to make these
antibodies, (using distemper as an example) distemper proteins need to be
present to provoke the cells to make antibodies.  This is a very simplified
version of what happens, and I would be happy to give a more detailed
response to anyone who has any biology knowledge.
 
As for the person who wrote in about their allergy shots, this is not the
same kind of antibody response at all and no comparison should be made.
When you have allergy shots, what the doctor is trying to do is switch your
body from making an allergic antibody response to something into a less
harmful antibody response that would not cause an allergic reaction.  It is
difficult thing to get your body to do and does not always work.  It is not
the same response you would make to a virus.  I hope that this helps more
than confuses.  Hello to all the fuzzies out there.
 
-Alison
Cornelius ("how can you resist the cuteness?")
Seven ("biting is my pasttime")
[Posted in FML issue 2526]