Patient

The technical diagnosis is Still’s Disease, even though I only have two of the symptoms. My immune system is overreacting to a dead bit of virus DNA in my system. That landed me in the hospital on three different occasions with pericarditis this past summer. To keep my immune system back down, I am on a number of immune suppressors.

I also have a history of getting significant reactions to vaccines, including flu vaccines and the DTAP, in some cases with fevers of over 102 for several days. As most people who don’t normally have an immune system reaction have been getting significant reactions to these vaccines, the concern I have is that this will kick my immune system in high gear. My understanding is that most of the people who have had issues with the vaccines have also had immune deficiencies.

I can take a risk and take the vaccine now, with a serious risk that it will throw my immune system off track. I can wait for this to die out due to herd immunity and work from home as long as possible or I bide my time hoping the longer I hold off the more my immune system will returns to normal and the less risk in taking the vaccine or getting the virus.

I figure that I can’t be the only person who doesn’t have an easy choice and a delicate medical condition.