percentage of reduced risk w/shots

Last Oct. we found out that our 3-year-old has a severe allergy to wasps, hornets, yellow jackets, etc. (all except for honey bees). We started desensitization shots in late Nov. but haven't gotten very far b/c he reacts (locally) to the shots. Might he have any protection by this summer? Also, when he is at "maintenance" what is his reduced risk of anaphalaxis? I've heard it decreases from 70 percent to 3 or 10 percent. Is this accurate?

[jeowen]

That is what our allergist told us. We also aren't getting very far with our shots with Matthew (9.5 yrs old) who also started his shots in Nov.  He's anaphylactic to wasps, and has a severe allergy to 4 other common bees that are local to our area. He's also allergic to 5 different tree pollens, cats, dogs, dust mites, etc.  They've got wasps in 1 shot, bees in another and the rest in the 3rd or something like that. Every week he reacts to them but way worse in the arm that gets the wasp shot.  Sometimes locally sometimes he has a systemic reaction.  They couldn't give him his shots last week b/c he was still suffering from a reaction from the previous week. He gets his 3 shots every Friday afternoon.  We were told that we'd see some protection after a year.  They said it could take up to 5 years to get to the maintenance point with him at the tune of nearly $20,000 to get lesser reactions.  

Since starting the shots his blood work is all out of whack, he's had allergic pink eye 4 times.  He's had fluid in his ears, asthma attacks, rashes, eczema is way worse, he's moodier (he's also bipolar & has PDD-NOS).

Our allergist said we'd go another month or so at our last visit (we see her on the 18th) and then determine if the benefits of the shots are worth all the stuff it's putting him through.  

Jennifer
mom to Noah, Matthew, Jacob & Nathan

[jeowen]

I wish I could edit my post LOL....the 4 other bees aren't just local to our area but common bees LOL....didn't word that right!