Blood types, Vaccines and disease associations ?

Nobody · 21st June 2006, 03:12 PM

Does anyone on this forum know anything of certain blood groups being linked with diseases ?

A friend told me that her father has a very rare blood type (AB- ?) that is supposedly worth a fortune. She then asked her mum what type she was, her mother was A+ (the same as me). I told her that this was the same as mine. She told me that I shouldn't have received the MMR jab as her doctors told her that A+ people produce antibodies to several infections including Measles and are naturally immune to them where as people of other blood groups require vaccinations, I told her that I had an MMR jab and she said they probably didn't check my record as the vast majority of the population are O+ and hence unimmune.This was the first I had ever heard of this and I got all my injections as a child.

I asked my mother (also A+) about this and she said it was nonsense and that she had also had her jabs.

Does anyone know if there is any truth behind this. Have any other A+ people been told that they didn't require vaccinations because of their blood group ?

Chris Haynes · 21st June 2006, 03:20 PM

I have A+ blood and have been vaccinated for just about anything that was available when I was growing up (I'm too old for the MMR, but have had been vaccinated for smallpox and yellow fever, plus a few other things).

When I stapled myself at work I got a tetanus shot at the factory clinic. I was not asked about my blood type. Ten years later I sliced my hand with a bread knife and I went to the walk-in clinic to get a tetanus shot... again, I was not asked about my blood type. Ten years later I got a tetenus booster at my family doctor's office (I did it before causing myself bodily harm), and my blood type was not questioned.

It sounds like a bunch of poppy-cock.

casebro · 21st June 2006, 03:38 PM

AB ain't that valuable. Seems it's a universal receptor, just like O is a universal donor. The local bank never calls me, but they sure want my Dad's B.

Anyhow, are "her doctors" mentioned above MD's? Or some kind of quacks? I see no reason that blood type has anything to do with anything else. No link to hair color, eye color, skin color, etc. Why would there be a link to immunity? If there was one, don't you think the mainstream would know?

patnray · 21st June 2006, 03:42 PM

Originally Posted by Nobody

She told me that I shouldn't have received the MMR jab as her doctors told her that A+ people produce antibodies to several infections including Measles and are naturally immune to them where as people of other blood groups require vaccinations, I told her that I had an MMR jab and she said they probably didn't check my record as the vast majority of the population are O+ and hence unimmune.

Just how does she propose that "A+ people produce antibodies to several infections" without being exposed to the antigens? Everyone with a healthy immune system produces antibodies once exposed to the infection, regardless of blood type...

Also, here is the distribution of blood types:

O+ 38 percent of population
A+ 34 percent of population
B+ 9 percent of population
O- 7 percent of population
A- 6 percent of population
AB+ 3 percent of population
B- 2 percent of population
AB- 1 percent of population

38% for O+ is not exactly "the vast majority of the population"

Nobody · 21st June 2006, 03:47 PM

Originally Posted by casebro

AB ain't that valuable. Seems it's a universal receptor, just like O is a universal donor. The local bank never calls me, but they sure want my Dad's B.

Anyhow, are "her doctors" mentioned above MD's? Or some kind of quacks? I see no reason that blood type has anything to do with anything else. No link to hair color, eye color, skin color, etc. Why would there be a link to immunity? If there was one, don't you think the mainstream would know?

Now that you mention it I think his blood was B-, I just knew that AB- was a rare one. It's her GP she was talking about so yes they would be qualified and registered medical practitioners but as I say I am A+ and got MMR.

Soapy Sam · 21st June 2006, 03:51 PM

People with AB blood have high resistance to cholera, I believe.

In areas where one type is very common, the rarer types will be in short supply for transfusion, so if it's a place where people are paid to donate blood I suppose it might command a higher price. UK blood donors are volunteers.
I dunno about jabs. I've had scores and I don't recall being asked for my blood type. (O+)
Here's http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/medicine/landsteiner a little game that teaches you about the Landsteiner ABO classification.

CapelDodger · 21st June 2006, 04:34 PM

Originally Posted by Nobody

She told me that I shouldn't have received the MMR jab as her doctors told her that A+ people produce antibodies to several infections including Measles and are naturally immune to them where as people of other blood groups require vaccinations ...

This strikes me as hearsay. They said something, she heard something. By now she's quite possibly hearing them saying what someone else has told her was meant by what she said was said.

What we clearly don't have here is an example of hear-ask. If I was told what she reports I'd ask "How does that work?". What's so special about measles-like diseases? I'd be intrigued. I'm intrigued as to why cholera, which I've considered as epithelial-oriented, might be stymied by blood-type.

I wish I knew more about the immune system, but so many things, so little time ...

kellyb · 21st June 2006, 08:02 PM

Yeah, that's a bunch of hooey.
A+ blood types aren't any more immune to diseases they've never encountered than any other blood type.
Your friend fell for a myth.

ETA: and if her doctor actually told her that, then she needs a new doctor.

wilks · 21st June 2006, 11:48 PM

Originally Posted by Soapy Sam

In areas where one type is very common, the rarer types will be in short supply for transfusion, so if it's a place where people are paid to donate blood I suppose it might command a higher price.

But there will be fewer people wanting the rare type.
In my experience, in the UK, it is the AB donations that are left in the fridge unused while the As and Os run out.

Oldpossum · 21st June 2006, 11:57 PM

Definatly needs new doctor.....

Blood type has very little, if anything at all, to do with how well your immune system responds to disease.

Also AB blood is only of use to other AB's, as no one else can safely use it.
It's O- that is the most valuable, as that can be safely given to anyone.

wilks · 22nd June 2006, 12:12 AM

Originally Posted by Oldpossum

Definatly needs new doctor.....

Blood type has very little, if anything at all, to do with how well your immune system responds to disease.

There are quite a lot of associations between blood groups and disease although I haven't heard of anything linking measles to blood group.

It is true that people with blood group AB are less susceptible to cholera. I don't know why but....
the blood group antigens are also expressed on tissue cells, including those in the gut. The cholera bacteria attaches to the small intestine and causes disease by producing cholera toxin. It is certainly possible that having both A and B antigens present on your cells could interfere with that attachment and make you less likely to get severe cholera.
I would be interested if anyone knows more.

Soapy Sam · 22nd June 2006, 02:06 AM

Originally Posted by wilks

But there will be fewer people wanting the rare type.
In my experience, in the UK, it is the AB donations that are left in the fridge unused while the As and Os run out.

I'm headed for the blood bank in Glasgow today. I'll ask if anyone knows.You work in a hospital, or you just keep wierd stuff in your fridge?

Capeldodger- Have you read Matt Ridley's book "Genome"? Great read . He discusses the relationship between genes, blood type and disease at one point, not in great detail, but it has a good reference list. (My copy is on loan or I'd quote some. Hie thee to Waterstones and laze around. (Watch out for Cybermen).

Yelper · 22nd June 2006, 04:21 AM

Originally Posted by Nobody

Does anyone on this forum know anything of certain blood groups being linked with diseases ?

A friend told me that her father has a very rare blood type (AB- ?) that is supposedly worth a fortune. She then asked her mum what type she was, her mother was A+ (the same as me). I told her that this was the same as mine. She told me that I shouldn't have received the MMR jab as her doctors told her that A+ people produce antibodies to several infections including Measles and are naturally immune to them where as people of other blood groups require vaccinations, I told her that I had an MMR jab and she said they probably didn't check my record as the vast majority of the population are O+ and hence unimmune.This was the first I had ever heard of this and I got all my injections as a child.

I asked my mother (also A+) about this and she said it was nonsense and that she had also had her jabs.

Does anyone know if there is any truth behind this. Have any other A+ people been told that they didn't require vaccinations because of their blood group ?

A+ here. Never been told I don't need vaccinations. Brought up in a medical household , so I figure if it were true someone might have mentioned it.

I do have rare cell blood though, so when I go and give blood, each person I speak to has to put a little star next to the "Rare cell" type comment, and they use a different bag to collect the blood. Kind of weird seeing the sheet of paper at the end with ~ 5 little stars next to the comment, but hey.

Also means I get a phone call 12 weeks to the second since I last gave blood, asking me to give again and setting up an appointment.

wilks · 22nd June 2006, 04:22 AM

Originally Posted by Soapy Sam

You work in a hospital, or you just keep wierd stuff in your fridge?

I used to work for the National Blood Service.

Other links that come to mind are group As are more likely to suffer from ulcers caused by H. pylori (I think its As, this is from memory) and people with the blood group Fya-b- have some protection against malaria. There are also quite a few cancers that occur more in one blood group than others.

All this is quite explainable if you think of non-self invaders like bacteria having antigens that are similar to blood group antigens. People naturally produce antibodies to non self blood group antigens (Group As have anti-B, group Bs have anti-A, Group Os have Anti A+B) and these may cross react with bacterial antigens giving you some protection.

wilks · 22nd June 2006, 04:26 AM

Originally Posted by wilks

Other links that come to mind are group As are more likely to suffer from ulcers caused by H. pylori (I think its As, this is from memory)

Darn!

That'll teach me to look things up first.
It's group Os that are more at risk.
http://www.bh.rmit.edu.au/mls/subjec...s/disease1.htm

Capsid · 22nd June 2006, 04:39 AM

Originally Posted by wilks

I used to work for the National Blood Service.

Other links that come to mind are group As are more likely to suffer from ulcers caused by H. pylori (I think its As, this is from memory) and people with the blood group Fya-b- have some protection against malaria. There are also quite a few cancers that occur more in one blood group than others.

All this is quite explainable if you think of non-self invaders like bacteria having antigens that are similar to blood group antigens. People naturally produce antibodies to non self blood group antigens (Group As have anti-B, group Bs have anti-A, Group Os have Anti A+B) and these may cross react with bacterial antigens giving you some protection.

I was working on the premise that group O individuals are more susceptible to cholera infection and that they would lack antibodies that might give some protection, but clearly they have both anti-A and B antibodies so the mechanism is unclear. I think wilks maybe closer to it in that the presence of the H antigen (in O group individuals) may act as some co-receptor for Vibrio cholera to infect.

Deetee · 22nd June 2006, 05:00 AM

Its not just your main blood type, but also what is known as your "secretor staus" .
People with certain ABO antigens are unable to secrete a particular enzyme on the surfaces of the mucosa (gut, nose, mouth, genitals, urinary tract), increasing their susceptibility to infections, eg meningitis.

This is an interesting review on genetics and infection - perhaps I'll read it sometime!

ranson · 22nd June 2006, 05:05 AM

A- here.

I think this is just a load of hooey. Newborns aren't routinely typed for blood group, so knowing who "needs" a vaccine is just ludicrous. I didn't know my type until I was 17 and got my card after my first donation. I've never even had a doc ask about type, much less use it as a determining factor for vaccination. They certainly haven't wondered about my kids. I will admit that there could be some relationship between blood factors and disease resistances, but I can't see it being significant.

Tanja · 22nd June 2006, 05:25 AM

This thread just made me register as a blood donor - I now have an appointment for monday to fill in forms/ donate blood. I believe I am a B-, and the stocks of it seems to always be low.

Chris Haynes · 22nd June 2006, 08:23 AM

Originally Posted by Deetee

...This is an interesting review on genetics and infection - perhaps I'll read it sometime!

Well, so far I can see it is 11 pages long with small type, but lots of pictures. I'll get to it sometime too.

It does note that people with Blood type O have a higher frequency of severe cholera. But it is just a general probability... in no way would it suggest that AB+ folks go swimming in rivers where cholera is present.

Oh, as an A+ person I can tell you that I did get the actual mumps disease... apparently twice.

From the above paper that I have just glanced through (I'm sleep deprived... woke up too early and could not get back to sleep)... natural immunities are complicated. It could be the blood, the mucus, pheromones and who knows what else.

The reason I mention it is that I come from a family that has several members that are "stinky" to certain bugs. My father has been in the woods where ticks were falling from the trees. The ones that landed on him scurried off quickly. He has pictures of his companions with ticks all over them, and he had none. I had a similar experience when I was a kid and played in a stream with friends. They came out with leeches attached to their legs, I had none. Unfortunately other bugs love me... especially fleas, hornets and mosquitoes (I have had dengue fever due to squeeters).

Yelper · 22nd June 2006, 08:36 AM

Originally Posted by Tanja

This thread just made me register as a blood donor - I now have an appointment for monday to fill in forms/ donate blood. I believe I am a B-, and the stocks of it seems to always be low.

Good luck. More blood is good, keeps the vampires from feasting on us poor innocents

Quote:

I think this is just a load of hooey. Newborns aren't routinely typed for blood group, so knowing who "needs" a vaccine is just ludicrous. I didn't know my type until I was 17 and got my card after my first donation.

I was screened at birth aparently. Dunno the exact reason, but I'm healthy so obviously nothing came of it. The only reason I know is that when I got my (Scottish) blood donation card, it claimed I was A-. I already had an English donation card saying I was A+ and my mum confirmed this, saying I was tested at birth and it should really be changed. The amount of hassle in getting it changed though was staggering. None of the people at the blood donation centre would even consider that it was wrong, despite being shown my other card.

BlackCat · 22nd June 2006, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by wilks

But there will be fewer people wanting the rare type.
In my experience, in the UK, it is the AB donations that are left in the fridge unused while the As and Os run out.

I worked at a blood bank, and I can confirm that this is true (I live in the US). Sorry, rarer types, but it's a lot more important for the common As and Os to donate, especially Os.

BlackCat

wilks · 22nd June 2006, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by Yelper

I was screened at birth aparently. Dunno the exact reason, but I'm healthy so obviously nothing came of it. The only reason I know is that when I got my (Scottish) blood donation card, it claimed I was A-. I already had an English donation card saying I was A+ and my mum confirmed this, saying I was tested at birth and it should really be changed. The amount of hassle in getting it changed though was staggering. None of the people at the blood donation centre would even consider that it was wrong, despite being shown my other card.

Blood grouping can be quite complicated sometimes and obviously I know nothing about your particular case but sometimes the Rhesus D antigen can be weaker than usual. It is possible that at one time and with one set of reagents you may have come up as Rhesus D+ and at another time, as Rhesus D-ve. That may not matter much because if you test as D-ve and need blood you will be given Rhesus neg which won't provoke a transfusion reaction whether you are pos or neg. If you donate blood and have weak D, that has never been known, as far as I'm aware, to be a strong enough antigen to produce an antibody response or a transfusion reaction in a Rhesus D negative donor, so your blood won't harm the donor.

As I said, I don't know if this is the case for you, but it is a possible explanation - and an explanation as to why the transfusion centre is not particularly worried about it.

Dymanic · 22nd June 2006, 01:47 PM

It's one of those things that is not well understood despite having been studied a lot. That certain blood types are linked with susceptibility to certain diseases is well established -- but finding a correlation between blood type and susceptibility to a disease doesn't necessarily indicate that the blood type causes the susceptibility; it might be some other factor which, along with blood type, is passed along genetically.

Soapy Sam · 23rd June 2006, 04:30 AM

I donated yesterday. (Got a free pen for giving 3 times in a year-yay!)

I'm afraid nobody there knew the answer to Nobody's specific question, but the opinion was that her friend was wrong.

ranson · 23rd June 2006, 08:40 AM

I think my next donation is July 10. I got a mug last year, and will get a duffel bag soon. I'm on that "priority Donor" list because I've only missed one donation in four years. So they give me crap.

21st June 2006, 03:12 PM	#1
Nobody New Blood Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 19	Blood types, MMR Vaccine and disease associations ? Does anyone on this forum know anything of certain blood groups being linked with diseases ? A friend told me that her father has a very rare blood type (AB- ?) that is supposedly worth a fortune. She then asked her mum what type she was, her mother was A+ (the same as me). I told her that this was the same as mine. She told me that I shouldn't have received the MMR jab as her doctors told her that A+ people produce antibodies to several infections including Measles and are naturally immune to them where as people of other blood groups require vaccinations, I told her that I had an MMR jab and she said they probably didn't check my record as the vast majority of the population are O+ and hence unimmune.This was the first I had ever heard of this and I got all my injections as a child. I asked my mother (also A+) about this and she said it was nonsense and that she had also had her jabs. Does anyone know if there is any truth behind this. Have any other A+ people been told that they didn't require vaccinations because of their blood group ?
Nobody New Blood Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 19	Last edited by Nobody; 21st June 2006 at 03:32 PM.

21st June 2006, 03:20 PM	#2
Chris Haynes Perfectly Poisonous Person Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Wacky Washington Way Out West Posts: 4,205	I have A+ blood and have been vaccinated for just about anything that was available when I was growing up (I'm too old for the MMR, but have had been vaccinated for smallpox and yellow fever, plus a few other things). When I stapled myself at work I got a tetanus shot at the factory clinic. I was not asked about my blood type. Ten years later I sliced my hand with a bread knife and I went to the walk-in clinic to get a tetanus shot... again, I was not asked about my blood type. Ten years later I got a tetenus booster at my family doctor's office (I did it before causing myself bodily harm), and my blood type was not questioned. It sounds like a bunch of poppy-cock.
	__________________ I used to be intelligent... but then I had kids "HCN, I hate you!" ( so sayeth Deetee at http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?p=1077344 )... What I get for linking to http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/

21st June 2006, 03:38 PM	#3
casebro Philosopher Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 6,792	AB ain't that valuable. Seems it's a universal receptor, just like O is a universal donor. The local bank never calls me, but they sure want my Dad's B. Anyhow, are "her doctors" mentioned above MD's? Or some kind of quacks? I see no reason that blood type has anything to do with anything else. No link to hair color, eye color, skin color, etc. Why would there be a link to immunity? If there was one, don't you think the mainstream would know?
casebro Philosopher Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 6,792	__________________ Please pardon me for having ideas, not facts. Some have called me cynical, but I don't believe them. It's not how many breaths you take. It's how many times you have been breathless that counts.

21st June 2006, 03:42 PM	#4
patnray Graduate Poster Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 1,008	Originally Posted by Nobody She told me that I shouldn't have received the MMR jab as her doctors told her that A+ people produce antibodies to several infections including Measles and are naturally immune to them where as people of other blood groups require vaccinations, I told her that I had an MMR jab and she said they probably didn't check my record as the vast majority of the population are O+ and hence unimmune. Just how does she propose that "A+ people produce antibodies to several infections" without being exposed to the antigens? Everyone with a healthy immune system produces antibodies once exposed to the infection, regardless of blood type... Also, here is the distribution of blood types: O+ 38 percent of population A+ 34 percent of population B+ 9 percent of population O- 7 percent of population A- 6 percent of population AB+ 3 percent of population B- 2 percent of population AB- 1 percent of population 38% for O+ is not exactly "the vast majority of the population"
	__________________ Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali A powerful and moving story of a strong and courageous woman’s struggle to free herself from a culture that treats women as property. Despite repeated death threats from religious zealots, she campaigns tirelessly for the rights of Muslim women. A tearful, chilling, yet inspiring, tale of personal triumph and dedication to free expression.

21st June 2006, 03:47 PM	#5
Nobody New Blood Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 19	Originally Posted by casebro AB ain't that valuable. Seems it's a universal receptor, just like O is a universal donor. The local bank never calls me, but they sure want my Dad's B. Anyhow, are "her doctors" mentioned above MD's? Or some kind of quacks? I see no reason that blood type has anything to do with anything else. No link to hair color, eye color, skin color, etc. Why would there be a link to immunity? If there was one, don't you think the mainstream would know? Now that you mention it I think his blood was B-, I just knew that AB- was a rare one. It's her GP she was talking about so yes they would be qualified and registered medical practitioners but as I say I am A+ and got MMR.
Nobody New Blood Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 19

21st June 2006, 03:51 PM	#6
Soapy Sam NLH Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 25,885	People with AB blood have high resistance to cholera, I believe. In areas where one type is very common, the rarer types will be in short supply for transfusion, so if it's a place where people are paid to donate blood I suppose it might command a higher price. UK blood donors are volunteers. I dunno about jabs. I've had scores and I don't recall being asked for my blood type. (O+) Here's http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/medicine/landsteiner a little game that teaches you about the Landsteiner ABO classification.
Soapy Sam NLH Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 25,885

21st June 2006, 04:34 PM	#7
CapelDodger Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Cardiff, South Wales Posts: 16,742	Originally Posted by Nobody She told me that I shouldn't have received the MMR jab as her doctors told her that A+ people produce antibodies to several infections including Measles and are naturally immune to them where as people of other blood groups require vaccinations ... This strikes me as hearsay. They said something, she heard something. By now she's quite possibly hearing them saying what someone else has told her was meant by what she said was said. What we clearly don't have here is an example of hear-ask. If I was told what she reports I'd ask "How does that work?". What's so special about measles-like diseases? I'd be intrigued. I'm intrigued as to why cholera, which I've considered as epithelial-oriented, might be stymied by blood-type. I wish I knew more about the immune system, but so many things, so little time ...
	__________________ It's a poor sort of memory that only works backward - Lewis Carroll (1832-1898) God can make a cow out of a tree, but has He ever done so? Therefore show some reason why a thing is so, or cease to hold that it is so - William of Conches, c1150

21st June 2006, 08:02 PM	#8
kellyb Illuminator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Tennessee. Ain't you jealous? Posts: 4,410	Yeah, that's a bunch of hooey. A+ blood types aren't any more immune to diseases they've never encountered than any other blood type. Your friend fell for a myth. ETA: and if her doctor actually told her that, then she needs a new doctor.

21st June 2006, 11:48 PM	#9
wilks Scholar Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 76	Originally Posted by Soapy Sam In areas where one type is very common, the rarer types will be in short supply for transfusion, so if it's a place where people are paid to donate blood I suppose it might command a higher price. But there will be fewer people wanting the rare type. In my experience, in the UK, it is the AB donations that are left in the fridge unused while the As and Os run out.
wilks Scholar Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 76

21st June 2006, 11:57 PM	#10
Oldpossum Scholar Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Adelaide, SA Posts: 78	Definatly needs new doctor..... Blood type has very little, if anything at all, to do with how well your immune system responds to disease. Also AB blood is only of use to other AB's, as no one else can safely use it. It's O- that is the most valuable, as that can be safely given to anyone.

22nd June 2006, 12:12 AM	#11
wilks Scholar Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 76	Originally Posted by Oldpossum Definatly needs new doctor..... Blood type has very little, if anything at all, to do with how well your immune system responds to disease. There are quite a lot of associations between blood groups and disease although I haven't heard of anything linking measles to blood group. It is true that people with blood group AB are less susceptible to cholera. I don't know why but.... the blood group antigens are also expressed on tissue cells, including those in the gut. The cholera bacteria attaches to the small intestine and causes disease by producing cholera toxin. It is certainly possible that having both A and B antigens present on your cells could interfere with that attachment and make you less likely to get severe cholera. I would be interested if anyone knows more.
wilks Scholar Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 76

22nd June 2006, 02:06 AM	#12
Soapy Sam NLH Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 25,885	Originally Posted by wilks But there will be fewer people wanting the rare type. In my experience, in the UK, it is the AB donations that are left in the fridge unused while the As and Os run out. I'm headed for the blood bank in Glasgow today. I'll ask if anyone knows.You work in a hospital, or you just keep wierd stuff in your fridge? Capeldodger- Have you read Matt Ridley's book "Genome"? Great read . He discusses the relationship between genes, blood type and disease at one point, not in great detail, but it has a good reference list. (My copy is on loan or I'd quote some. Hie thee to Waterstones and laze around. (Watch out for Cybermen).
Soapy Sam NLH Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 25,885	Last edited by Soapy Sam; 22nd June 2006 at 02:13 AM.

22nd June 2006, 04:21 AM	#13
Yelper Student Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 32	Originally Posted by Nobody Does anyone on this forum know anything of certain blood groups being linked with diseases ? A friend told me that her father has a very rare blood type (AB- ?) that is supposedly worth a fortune. She then asked her mum what type she was, her mother was A+ (the same as me). I told her that this was the same as mine. She told me that I shouldn't have received the MMR jab as her doctors told her that A+ people produce antibodies to several infections including Measles and are naturally immune to them where as people of other blood groups require vaccinations, I told her that I had an MMR jab and she said they probably didn't check my record as the vast majority of the population are O+ and hence unimmune.This was the first I had ever heard of this and I got all my injections as a child. I asked my mother (also A+) about this and she said it was nonsense and that she had also had her jabs. Does anyone know if there is any truth behind this. Have any other A+ people been told that they didn't require vaccinations because of their blood group ? A+ here. Never been told I don't need vaccinations. Brought up in a medical household , so I figure if it were true someone might have mentioned it. I do have rare cell blood though, so when I go and give blood, each person I speak to has to put a little star next to the "Rare cell" type comment, and they use a different bag to collect the blood. Kind of weird seeing the sheet of paper at the end with ~ 5 little stars next to the comment, but hey. Also means I get a phone call 12 weeks to the second since I last gave blood, asking me to give again and setting up an appointment.
Yelper Student Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 32

22nd June 2006, 04:22 AM	#14
wilks Scholar Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 76	Originally Posted by Soapy Sam You work in a hospital, or you just keep wierd stuff in your fridge? I used to work for the National Blood Service. Other links that come to mind are group As are more likely to suffer from ulcers caused by H. pylori (I think its As, this is from memory) and people with the blood group Fya-b- have some protection against malaria. There are also quite a few cancers that occur more in one blood group than others. All this is quite explainable if you think of non-self invaders like bacteria having antigens that are similar to blood group antigens. People naturally produce antibodies to non self blood group antigens (Group As have anti-B, group Bs have anti-A, Group Os have Anti A+B) and these may cross react with bacterial antigens giving you some protection.
wilks Scholar Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 76

22nd June 2006, 04:26 AM	#15
wilks Scholar Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 76	Originally Posted by wilks Other links that come to mind are group As are more likely to suffer from ulcers caused by H. pylori (I think its As, this is from memory) Darn! That'll teach me to look things up first. It's group Os that are more at risk. http://www.bh.rmit.edu.au/mls/subjec...s/disease1.htm
wilks Scholar Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 76

22nd June 2006, 04:39 AM	#16
Capsid Graduate Poster Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 1,506	Originally Posted by wilks I used to work for the National Blood Service. Other links that come to mind are group As are more likely to suffer from ulcers caused by H. pylori (I think its As, this is from memory) and people with the blood group Fya-b- have some protection against malaria. There are also quite a few cancers that occur more in one blood group than others. All this is quite explainable if you think of non-self invaders like bacteria having antigens that are similar to blood group antigens. People naturally produce antibodies to non self blood group antigens (Group As have anti-B, group Bs have anti-A, Group Os have Anti A+B) and these may cross react with bacterial antigens giving you some protection. I was working on the premise that group O individuals are more susceptible to cholera infection and that they would lack antibodies that might give some protection, but clearly they have both anti-A and B antibodies so the mechanism is unclear. I think wilks maybe closer to it in that the presence of the H antigen (in O group individuals) may act as some co-receptor for Vibrio cholera to infect.
Capsid Graduate Poster Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 1,506

22nd June 2006, 05:00 AM	#17
Deetee Illuminator Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 3,790	Its not just your main blood type, but also what is known as your "secretor staus" . People with certain ABO antigens are unable to secrete a particular enzyme on the surfaces of the mucosa (gut, nose, mouth, genitals, urinary tract), increasing their susceptibility to infections, eg meningitis. This is an interesting review on genetics and infection - perhaps I'll read it sometime!
Deetee Illuminator Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 3,790	__________________ "Reci bobu bob a popu pop." - Tanja "Everything is physics. This does not mean that physics is everything." - Cuddles "The entire practice of homeopathy can be substituted with the advice to "take two aspirins and call me in the morning." - Linda "Homeopathy: I never knew there was so little in it." - BSM

22nd June 2006, 05:05 AM	#18
ranson Scheme Monkey Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 1,049	A- here. I think this is just a load of hooey. Newborns aren't routinely typed for blood group, so knowing who "needs" a vaccine is just ludicrous. I didn't know my type until I was 17 and got my card after my first donation. I've never even had a doc ask about type, much less use it as a determining factor for vaccination. They certainly haven't wondered about my kids. I will admit that there could be some relationship between blood factors and disease resistances, but I can't see it being significant.
ranson Scheme Monkey Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 1,049	__________________ It's your contention that being sane is living a sheltered life? -- thaiboxerken

22nd June 2006, 05:25 AM	#19
Tanja Comfortably Numb Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 3,001	This thread just made me register as a blood donor - I now have an appointment for monday to fill in forms/ donate blood. I believe I am a B-, and the stocks of it seems to always be low.
Tanja Comfortably Numb Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 3,001

22nd June 2006, 08:23 AM	#20
Chris Haynes Perfectly Poisonous Person Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Wacky Washington Way Out West Posts: 4,205	Originally Posted by Deetee ...This is an interesting review on genetics and infection - perhaps I'll read it sometime! Well, so far I can see it is 11 pages long with small type, but lots of pictures. I'll get to it sometime too. It does note that people with Blood type O have a higher frequency of severe cholera. But it is just a general probability... in no way would it suggest that AB+ folks go swimming in rivers where cholera is present. Oh, as an A+ person I can tell you that I did get the actual mumps disease... apparently twice. From the above paper that I have just glanced through (I'm sleep deprived... woke up too early and could not get back to sleep)... natural immunities are complicated. It could be the blood, the mucus, pheromones and who knows what else. The reason I mention it is that I come from a family that has several members that are "stinky" to certain bugs. My father has been in the woods where ticks were falling from the trees. The ones that landed on him scurried off quickly. He has pictures of his companions with ticks all over them, and he had none. I had a similar experience when I was a kid and played in a stream with friends. They came out with leeches attached to their legs, I had none. Unfortunately other bugs love me... especially fleas, hornets and mosquitoes (I have had dengue fever due to squeeters).
	__________________ I used to be intelligent... but then I had kids "HCN, I hate you!" ( so sayeth Deetee at http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?p=1077344 )... What I get for linking to http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/

22nd June 2006, 08:36 AM	#21
Yelper Student Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 32	Originally Posted by Tanja This thread just made me register as a blood donor - I now have an appointment for monday to fill in forms/ donate blood. I believe I am a B-, and the stocks of it seems to always be low. Good luck. More blood is good, keeps the vampires from feasting on us poor innocents Quote: I think this is just a load of hooey. Newborns aren't routinely typed for blood group, so knowing who "needs" a vaccine is just ludicrous. I didn't know my type until I was 17 and got my card after my first donation. I was screened at birth aparently. Dunno the exact reason, but I'm healthy so obviously nothing came of it. The only reason I know is that when I got my (Scottish) blood donation card, it claimed I was A-. I already had an English donation card saying I was A+ and my mum confirmed this, saying I was tested at birth and it should really be changed. The amount of hassle in getting it changed though was staggering. None of the people at the blood donation centre would even consider that it was wrong, despite being shown my other card.
Yelper Student Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 32

22nd June 2006, 11:55 AM	#22
BlackCat Notorious Path Crosser Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 368	Originally Posted by wilks But there will be fewer people wanting the rare type. In my experience, in the UK, it is the AB donations that are left in the fridge unused while the As and Os run out. I worked at a blood bank, and I can confirm that this is true (I live in the US). Sorry, rarer types, but it's a lot more important for the common As and Os to donate, especially Os. BlackCat
	__________________ We are star stuff which has taken its own destiny into its hands. -Carl Sagan I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours. -Stephen Roberts

22nd June 2006, 12:55 PM	#23
wilks Scholar Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 76	Originally Posted by Yelper I was screened at birth aparently. Dunno the exact reason, but I'm healthy so obviously nothing came of it. The only reason I know is that when I got my (Scottish) blood donation card, it claimed I was A-. I already had an English donation card saying I was A+ and my mum confirmed this, saying I was tested at birth and it should really be changed. The amount of hassle in getting it changed though was staggering. None of the people at the blood donation centre would even consider that it was wrong, despite being shown my other card. Blood grouping can be quite complicated sometimes and obviously I know nothing about your particular case but sometimes the Rhesus D antigen can be weaker than usual. It is possible that at one time and with one set of reagents you may have come up as Rhesus D+ and at another time, as Rhesus D-ve. That may not matter much because if you test as D-ve and need blood you will be given Rhesus neg which won't provoke a transfusion reaction whether you are pos or neg. If you donate blood and have weak D, that has never been known, as far as I'm aware, to be a strong enough antigen to produce an antibody response or a transfusion reaction in a Rhesus D negative donor, so your blood won't harm the donor. As I said, I don't know if this is the case for you, but it is a possible explanation - and an explanation as to why the transfusion centre is not particularly worried about it.
wilks Scholar Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 76

22nd June 2006, 01:47 PM	#24
Dymanic Illuminator Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 4,729	It's one of those things that is not well understood despite having been studied a lot. That certain blood types are linked with susceptibility to certain diseases is well established -- but finding a correlation between blood type and susceptibility to a disease doesn't necessarily indicate that the blood type causes the susceptibility; it might be some other factor which, along with blood type, is passed along genetically.
Dymanic Illuminator Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 4,729

23rd June 2006, 04:30 AM	#25
Soapy Sam NLH Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 25,885	I donated yesterday. (Got a free pen for giving 3 times in a year-yay!) I'm afraid nobody there knew the answer to Nobody's specific question, but the opinion was that her friend was wrong.
Soapy Sam NLH Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 25,885

23rd June 2006, 08:40 AM	#26
ranson Scheme Monkey Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 1,049	I think my next donation is July 10. I got a mug last year, and will get a duffel bag soon. I'm on that "priority Donor" list because I've only missed one donation in four years. So they give me crap.
ranson Scheme Monkey Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 1,049	__________________ It's your contention that being sane is living a sheltered life? -- thaiboxerken