Re: hepatitis vaccines

[Guest guest]

I recall hearing that this outbreak was related to the importation of Hep A

tainted strawberry deserts from Mexico. Isn't our risk from the officials who

try and save a buck by using unchecked foods from countries that may not have

the standards of safety and cleanliness around food production that the US

has? If this is the case, then what is the real threat.

I have seen several cases of Hep A. All were found in patient that had eaten

seafood that was improperly cooked, and who knows where it came from. So, if

we watch what we eat, how it is cooked and who prepares it (I wonder what that

restaurants Health Department Rating was?) then where is our risk any greater

than it has been? Also, teach our children to have good hand washing

techniques and the risk lessens even more. Is it just like the government to

look for a quick fix...a vaccine.

[Guest guest]

yeah, and why is hepatitis a so much on the rise in the usa??? because

everyone is completely overvaccinated, everyone is absolutely scared

of any kind of bacteria, so uses antibacterial everything, from soaps

to house-cleaning agents, and surely soon someone will come up with

antibacterial food products, too, just to make absolutely sure that

we'll loose all our natural immunity. and the pharmaceuticals will

thank us for it - by introducing more vaccines.

have these so-called 'experts' ever thought of that side of the rise

of certain diseases? i highly doubt it!

claudia

--- G <mom2q@...> wrote:

>

> From: " G " <mom2q@...>

>

>

> Just what we need!!!! Another vaccine for our children to have!!

> >

> >

> >>Monday, November 23, 1998

> >>So, Is It Time to Give This a Shot?

> >>Vaccinations Federal officials join the debate about immunizing

> children

> >>for hepatitis.

> >>By SHARI ROAN, Times Health Writer

> >>

> >>Federal health officials are mulling a mass immunization program for

> >>elementary-school students to prevent the type of hepatitis A

outbreak

> >>that threatened thousands of Los Angeles schoolchildren in March

1997.

> >>Whether parents--and health insurers--would get behind such a

proposal

> >>is uncertain, officials concede. While frightening outbreaks are on

> the

> >>rise in California, many people don't understand the differences

among

> >>the family

> >>of hepatitis viruses and how vaccination can help. " People are very

> >>confused about the variety of hepatitis viruses, " says Thelma King

> >>Thiel, chairwoman of Hepatitis Foundation International, an advocacy

> >>group. " Some are transmitted through food and water and others

through

> >>blood. Some people think that the vaccination for hepatitis B

covers

> all

> >>the hepatitis viruses. And it doesn't. " Hepatitis Foundation

> >>International, based in Cedar Grove, N.J., and several other public

> >>health education groups have launched an intensive campaign to teach

> >>Americans about hepatitis in advance of a government decision,

> expected

> >>early next year, on who should be tested for hepatitis A.

> >>

> >>Last month, an advisory committee to the Centers for Disease

Control

> and

> >>Prevention recommended that children living in states or communities

> >>with high hepatitis A rates--defined as double the national

> average--be

> >>vaccinated against hepatitis A. This would include California and

most

> >>other Western states. According to the CDC, about one-third of

> >>Americans have already been exposed to hepatitis A. Among adults

who

> are

> >>exposed for the first time, three out of four will become ill. And

the

> >>disease can be miserable, causing vomiting, fatigue and jaundice.

One

> >>study put the cost of hepatitis A

> >>infection in the United States at $450 million annually. It is also

> the

> >>most surreptitious of the hepatitis viruses because it spreads

through

> >>food and water and is highly contagious.

> >>

> >>About 100 to 150 people a year die of the disease, mostly because of

> >>complications. In people with underlying liver disease, the virus

can

> >>cause serious complications. About 12% to 15% of infected adults are

> >>hospitalized each year from hepatitis A infection, often because of

> >>dehydration from vomiting. The national hepatitis A rate is 10.8

> cases

> >>per 100,000 people. California's rate last year was 21 per 100,000.

> >>There are about 125,000 to 200,000 hepatitis A cases per year in the

> >>United States. A vaccine for hepatitis A has been available since

> 1995

> >>and has been recommended for travel to some countries, including

> Mexico,

> >>for gay men, people with liver disease and hemophiliacs. In

December,

> >>the Food and Drug Administration recommended that all food handlers

> also

> >>receive the vaccine. Several counties with outbreaks have also begun

> >>programs to vaccinate children.

> >>

> >>But these efforts have not been enough, says Dr. Harold Margolis,

> chief

> >>of the hepatitis branch at the CDC. " When we look at areas where

> there

> >>has been a large outbreak, what we have found is that unless you

have

> a

> >>communitywide effort, it's hard to achieve high enough rates of

> >>vaccination to stop the disease. If you can get high

coverages--over

> 70%

> >>to 80% of the community immunized--hepatitis A goes away, " he says.

> >>While there is no " huge problem " with hepatitis A in this country,

> " the

> >>whole area of hepatitis has come under much greater scrutiny and

focus

> >>because we have gathered so much more data in the past five years, "

> says

> >>Dr. , director of the Hepatitis Research Center at

USC.

> >>Public health officials are troubled by an increase in hepatitis A

> >>outbreaks from tainted imported produce. For example, in 1997, as

many

> >>as 9,000 Los Angeles schoolchildren were exposed to the virus

through

> >>frozen fruit in the school lunch program. Several studies have

shown

> >>that periodic outbreaks of hepatitis A continue until a community

> >>undertakes widespread vaccination. The previous strategy of

targeting

> >>certain groups of people for hepatitis A vaccination, such as

> travelers

> >>and gay men, has not kept the virus in check. The strategy of

> >>targeting certain groups hasn't worked in the past because too many

> >>people in those groups fail to get vaccinated, says. A

better

> >>strategy, she says, " is to vaccinate a certain population group at a

> >>certain age. That is the theory behind moving toward [childhood

> >>immunization for hepatitis A]. "

> >>

> >>The reasons for the difficulty in eradicating hepatitis A are many.

> >>Among them:

> >>

> >>* There is no effective vaccine yet for infants. Only individuals

age

> 2

> >>or older can be vaccinated, which makes a mass immunization campaign

> >>more difficult because parents are less likely to take older

children

> to

> >>the doctor.

> >>

> >>* While children are the target of vaccination, it is adults who

are

> at

> >>higher risk for getting sick from the disease. Children usually get

> only

> >>mildly ill when infected or have no symptoms but can transmit the

> virus

> >>to others for about six weeks. The virus, which travels in feces,

> >>spreads easily when children don't wash their hands after using the

> >>bathroom. The virus also travels in food and water. Adults who get

the

> >>disease can become very ill for several weeks with flu-like

symptoms

> and

> >>can remain actively

> >>infected for up to a year.

> >>

> >>* Hepatitis A vaccination is not the same thing as the hepatitis B

> >>vaccine, which was recommended for all infants, children and

teenagers

> >>in 1992. While there is research on a combined vaccine, so far each

> >>immunization requires a separate series of shots.

> >>

> >>* There is a treatment to prevent the disease after exposure. But

the

> >>medicine, called immune globulin, builds only a temporary immunity

> >>against infection and will not protect against future outbreaks.

Some

> >>people may mistakenly think that immune globulin provides long-term

> >>vaccination.

> >>

> >>* Insurance coverage of hepatitis A vaccine has been spotty; only

> >>roughly 40% of insurers cover it now, according to one

manufacturer of

> >>the vaccine. The shot, costing about $75, isn't covered by insurance

> >>because the federal guidelines for who should receive it remain

vague.

> >>(Should the CDC recommend the vaccine routinely in childhood,

however,

> >>it is expected that insurers would cover the costs. The vaccine is

> also

> >>included in the federal Vaccines for Children Program, ensuring

that

> any

> >>child not covered by insurance or whose family cannot afford the

shot

> >>would receive it.)

> >>

> >>Unlike other vaccinations that prevent childhood diseases or prevent

> >>extremely dangerous illness later in life (such as with the

hepatitis

> B

> >>vaccine), the hepatitis A vaccine fits neither description. It

would

> be

> >>given to children to prevent what can be a very uncomfortable, but

> >>rarely dangerous, illness in adults. That might make the vaccine a

> >>tougher sell, Thiel admits. " If we can immunize the kiddies, they

can

> >>prevent this chain reaction, " she says. " But it's a matter of

> educating

> >>people to show them how serious a problem this is. " " Children are

> >>usually silent carriers of hepatitis A and get rid of it. But

adults

> can

> >>get very ill and miss a lot of work, " says Dr. Palmer, a

liver

> >>specialist in Long Island, N.Y., who has a large hepatitis

practice.

> " It

> >>makes sense to immunize children because you have a group there

who is

> >>going to the doctor for other reasons. "

> >>

> >>One state, Oklahoma, has acted. Oklahoma legislators voted in June

to

> >>require hepatitis A vaccination for kindergarten and seventh-grade

> >>schoolchildren after cases in that state quadrupled during the last

> >>decade. The infection rate in Oklahoma is still not as high as in

> >>California. The vaccine, which is usually recommended to be given

> with

> >>a booster shot at six to 12 months after the initial immunization,

is

> >>believed to be effective for up to 20 years, according to studies.

> >>California health officials have begun discussions about widespread

> >>hepatitis A vaccination, says Dr. , immunization branch

> >>chief for the Department of Health Services. " We're still in the

early

> >>discussion phase. One problem is that there is no clear consensus

> about

> >>where to fit in the immunization [in the childhood immunization

> >>schedule]. People were hoping we'd have a combined vaccine for

> hepatitis

> >>A and B to make it easier to vaccinate children routinely. "

> >>

> >>A Closer Look at Hepatitis

> >>Government officials soon will consider a proposal to vaccinate

> children

> >>for hepatitis A in states with high rates of the disease, including

> >>California. If approved, it would be the second hepatitis vaccine

> >>recommended for children. The three primary hepatitis viruses--A, B

> and

> >>C--have different characteristics, but all can cause liver damage.

> >>

> >>HEPATITIS A

> >>How It Is Spread: From fecal matter through food, water and

> >>person-to-person contact.

> >>

> >>U.S. cases per year: 125,000 to 200,000.

> >>Who's at High Risk: Travelers to foreign countries, military

>

=== message truncated ===

==

claudia ayaz

claudiaayaz@...

homepage: http://members.tripod.com/~EDucker/index.html

[Guest guest]

I asked my doctor about taking hepatitis vaccines and he said by all means.

However, I cannot take them while I am still on prednisone.

dx AIH 2/02

[Guest guest]

I received both Hepatitis A and B vaccines when I was in remission

about 4 years ago. I remained in remission until now. So I would say there

were no ill effects. My internist is now testing me for Hep C, but she

doesn't need to test for A or B, which is nice. Almost definitely it is the

return of the AIH.

Sharon

>From: " myangel812002 " <CollScoot1@...>

>Reply-

>

>Subject: [ ] hepatitis vaccines

>Date: Fri, 16 Aug 2002 18:03:15 -0000

>

>Anyone who received hepatitis vaccines with diagnosis of AIH, please

>email me. Were there any side effects? I heard that severe platelet

>drop can occur as well as rare neurological side effects. My

>platelet count is already low at 60,000. Thanks!

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

My doctors told me that they wouldn't help.

Sue/WI

[Guest guest]

My Dr wants me to get the hep A & B vaccines, but not until I'm off the

prednisone. He told me that if for some reason I picked up either one, while

dealing with AIH, it could be life threatening.

K

[Guest guest]

Wow! , I didnt realize that. I have had to educate myself on this

disease so much. My regular doctor in Montana is not as knowledgable of AIH

(and I appreciate he admits that) and when we have med discussions he calls

my specialist in Atlanta. I knew Hep Vaccines + prednisone = NO NO. But,

did not know to what extreme.

[Guest guest]

Sue, when I asked my doctors - they responded " By all means! " both of them.

[Guest guest]

Hello, My name is , and my 11 year old son was just dx with AIH, and the problems he was haveing before, such as nosebleeds, swelling fingers, and lower right adnomal pain got worse when his ped. gave him his booster shots for the 7th grade. Of course he got them before we knew what he had, they just gave them to him while she was trying to figure out what was causing the other problems. So I do believe that these shots contributed to his problems, and caused certain levels in his liver enzy. to increase or decrease which ever they were looking for at the time.

[ ] hepatitis vaccines

Anyone who received hepatitis vaccines with diagnosis of AIH, please email me. Were there any side effects? I heard that severe platelet drop can occur as well as rare neurological side effects. My platelet count is already low at 60,000. Thanks!

[Guest guest]

Me too! I have to wait till I’m off

prednisone before I can get the Hep C vaccine. I had

no problem getting the pneumonia shot while on 20 mg prednisone back then.

Re: [ ]

hepatitis vaccines

I asked my doctor about taking hepatitis vaccines and

he said by all means.

However, I cannot take them while I am still on

prednisone.

dx AIH 2/02

[Guest guest]

I received all of the possible hepatitis vaccines after my dignosis. Basically he told me if got one of the strains it could kill me. That made me pay attention! I didn't have any trouble with any of them. Also, I believe the transplant clinic requires the vaccinations. I am also checked periodically for TB because there are so many more cases around and I would not do well with that either.

Good luck!

Amy

[Guest guest]

I had years ago had a HEP B vaccine but when being tested for AIH they found

my titers low and revaccinated me for HEP B. My Hepatologist did not want to

give me a Hep A vaccine because I was having a lot of problems at the time

and he said he felt that the risks outweight the benefits. I didn't question

too much at the time. I probably will when I go back in 2 months. My

platelet count at the time was 37. Its now up to 67.

[Guest guest]

,

Why? I took mine while on Prednisone.

[Guest guest]

Sue,

I assume what they ment was it won't help the AIH but you won't compromise an

already stressed liver with additional liver problems.

[Guest guest]

, Really your doc told you that you couldn't take the vaccines while on

prednisone? I had my Hep A and the first of the Hep B series Tuesday, and

I'm still on pred. My doc didn't say anything about that. I guess they

have different philosophies on that issue. Cathie

>From: mtmuscldog@...

>Reply-

>

>Subject: Re: [ ] hepatitis vaccines

>Date: Fri, 16 Aug 2002 18:13:22 EDT

>

>I asked my doctor about taking hepatitis vaccines and he said by all means.

>However, I cannot take them while I am still on prednisone.

>

> dx AIH 2/02

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[Guest guest]

I WILL NEVER BE VACCINATED FOR ANYTHING AGAIN IN MY LIFE!! jus sayin...

>

> I have had both CFS and Fibro. for over 25 years. I'm 50 now. They suspect I

may also have either Sarcoidosis or MS.

>

> My doctor found out through my blood work that I have no antibodies to either

Hep. A or Hep. B and recommends a series of 3 vaccines. Has anyone had these?

I'm hesitant to get any vaccines, because I think they're part of the reason I

got sick in the first place (when I joined the military). I'm pretty much

housebound, so I'm not in the public all that much. But I go to the VA for all

of my appts., which places me around quite a few people each time.

>

> Thank you for your help.

>

> Sue

>

[Guest guest]

hi sue - a vaccine put me over the cliff 15 years ago or so - so i',

am also very leery...hep b is a blood born pathogen - since needles aren't

reused and everybody now uses gloves anywhere near blood - it protects them and

you- as long as your sexual partner doesn't have hep b, it shouldn't be a

problem...hep a is a food born pathogen...somebody with the disease doesn't wash

their hands and, for example,  makes potato salad...i think most folks who work

in kitchens now also wear gloves....speaking for myself, i wouldn't get these

vaccines...if you're well enough to travel to a developing country, hep a could

be worth it..infants are given hep b at birth these days - i think this is crazy

unless the mom as hep b...

good luck ,

deb (an rn  in my past life!)

________________________________

 

I have had both CFS and Fibro. for over 25 years. I'm 50 now. They suspect I may

also have either Sarcoidosis or MS.

My doctor found out through my blood work that I have no antibodies to either

Hep. A or Hep. B and recommends a series of 3 vaccines. Has anyone had these?

I'm hesitant to get any vaccines, because I think they're part of the reason I

got sick in the first place (when I joined the military). I'm pretty much

housebound, so I'm not in the public all that much. But I go to the VA for all

of my appts., which places me around quite a few people each time.

Thank you for your help.

Sue

[Guest guest]

Hi Sue

If your doctor was up on cfs he wouldn't be recommending Hep B vaccine. The

risk to you if you don't work in the medical industry is very low of contracting

it.

You will find quite a bit on Hep B and the suspected impact on people with cfs.

It certainly made me much worse. My doctor told me never to have vaccines. I

regret having it.

>

> I have had both CFS and Fibro. for over 25 years. I'm 50 now. They suspect I

may also have either Sarcoidosis or MS.

>

> My doctor found out through my blood work that I have no antibodies to either

Hep. A or Hep. B and recommends a series of 3 vaccines. Has anyone had these?

I'm hesitant to get any vaccines, because I think they're part of the reason I

got sick in the first place (when I joined the military). I'm pretty much

housebound, so I'm not in the public all that much. But I go to the VA for all

of my appts., which places me around quite a few people each time.

>

> Thank you for your help.

>

> Sue

>