.......Following on from the previous
There are different cells in your body for different purposes for the immune system, two main ones seem to be relevant:
- B-Cells - they are the military intelligence, that finds issues/invading antigen
- T-Cells - these are the soldiers that actually destroy the target, also known as killer cells
Vaccinations - Do they have a part to play in this?
The simple answer is Yes and No! (Hang on I'm starting to sound like a doctor?)OK - There have been a number of studies into viruses, the vaccinations and their affects for increasing the risk of certain diseases (including GBS). What is a vaccine?
A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins or one of its surface proteins. The agent stimulates the body's immune system to recognize the agent as foreign, destroy it, and "remember" it, so that the immune system can more easily recognize and destroy any of these microorganisms that it later encounters. - Thanks Wikipedia
Thus it is possible to assume that as this is actually a virus/bacteria that is being deliberately introduced into your system and causes the cells above to recognise the danger and so re-act/remember, it could be responsible for causing GBS?
Well Yes and No! (see above)
In 1976 there was a vaccine developed for a swine flu like virus (in the US), that appeared to increase the risk of GBS and this vaccine was terminated. They did prove that people who were given the vaccine did have an increased risk (roughly two to five times - depending on who's research you read). Studies from 2000 onwards indicate there is no/minimal links between vaccinations and the rate of infection per se. In fact the H1N1 incidence in 2009 actually happened part way through a study in Paris into GBS and causes and they found no increased risk due to taking the vaccination. On top of this, there was a study of 50 million vaccinated people in 5 European countries in 2009 that found 104 cases of GBS, thus the researches could find no link.
So based on these fact the actual normal rate across these 5 European countries is 2.08 per million - significantly different to what was stated in my last post?
As it is the introduction of foreign bodies into your system, then (like in my case - as I had inoculations in January and 2 weeks later had flu like symptoms) there is bound to be some chance, but....... (BTW for my wife's 50th birthday we are going on a cruise to the eastern Med - as long as I am fit enough - one burning question is "Should I have the vaccinations????"). So I have a seriously vested interest in saying "YES!" they do play a part, but I can't find proof that satisfies me!
Anyway.....
Your immune system knows about internal and external cells, but in order to attack your internal ones, it must get very confused? Again there are theories and this does happen in a number of other diseases.
The one thing I do not understand is "Why me?". What I mean is if there are 1 in 10,000 of me getting this condition from a virus/bacteria/vaccine then why was I the one? There must be something different in me that triggered this that the other 9,999 don't have. This is also what the doctors/professionals don't know, unfortunately. There is research going on and I will try and comprehend where they have got to, but I am still digging.
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