Hepatitis disease - Hepatitis vaccination stupid questions

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Hepatitis vaccination stupid questions

mexican_equivalent@yahoo.com

2005-07-20, 10:54 pm

x-no-archive: yes

When I attended grade school and highschool in the late '80s to early
'90s, I remember the public school system required vaccinations for a
host of diseases. I'm assuming that immunization shots for Hepatitis A
and Hepatitis B were standard requirements for American school
children. (correct me if I'm wrong).

So it's 2005, and I find myself working in the hell-hole known as the
Philippines... otherwise known as the hepatitis capital of the world.
I once oversaw blood test of 10 random people here, and only 3 of the
results didn't test positive for one sort of blood disease or another.

Anyway, are there any preventive measures I can take while I'm staying
here? Are those immunization shots I took some 15 years ago enough to
keep me from being infected with Hepatitis A for the rest of my life...
or do I need to get vaccinated again after all these years? I
apologize if these questions sound stupid.

greyhackles

2005-07-20, 10:54 pm

On 20 Jul 2005 16:40:55 -0700, mexican_equivalent@yahoo.com wrote:

>x-no-archive: yes
>
>When I attended grade school and highschool in the late '80s to early
>'90s, I remember the public school system required vaccinations for a
>host of diseases. I'm assuming that immunization shots for Hepatitis A
>and Hepatitis B were standard requirements for American school
>children. (correct me if I'm wrong).

I believe you are wrong, my sons went through grade school/high
school/college/post-grad and were never required to be immunized for Hep A or
B. That said, they both ended up getting the A vaccine in college, in response
to campus outbreaks.

It sounds like you have a reasonable concern, especially for Hep A infection
(easily spread, unfortunately). The definitive action would be to have a gap
order blood tests for Hep A and B antibodies...

cheers

/greyhackles

greyhackles

2005-07-20, 10:54 pm

On Wed, 20 Jul 2005 20:39:03 -0400, greyhackles <greyhackles@NOSPAMyahoo.com>
wrote:

>On 20 Jul 2005 16:40:55 -0700, mexican_equivalent@yahoo.com wrote:
>
>
>I believe you are wrong, my sons went through grade school/high
>school/college/post-grad and were never required to be immunized for Hep A or
>B. That said, they both ended up getting the A vaccine in college, in response
>to campus outbreaks.
>
>It sounds like you have a reasonable concern, especially for Hep A infection
>(easily spread, unfortunately). The definitive action would be to have a gap
>order blood tests for Hep A and B antibodies...
>
>cheers
>
>/greyhackles

ps: Agent's spell checker changed "gp" to "gap" on me. Whoops! :-)

Fred Kat

2005-07-24, 12:41 pm

I went to grade school in the 60s the only immunizations that I
remember getting was, smallpox, polio, tetness, & they would give us
the test for terberulosus once a year. Please don't pick on me for
spelling :-) there might have been others but I'm pretty sure there
was no hepatitis vaccinations. I just took the first of 3 shots last
week for hep_b its not bad at all. Its certainly alot cheaper than
having to go though the Hepsera treatmeant. My girl friend is going
though that now, A months worth of pills is about $600.

Jim

On 20 Jul 2005 16:40:55 -0700, mexican_equivalent@yahoo.com wrote:

>x-no-archive: yes
>
>When I attended grade school and highschool in the late '80s to early
>'90s, I remember the public school system required vaccinations for a
>host of diseases. I'm assuming that immunization shots for Hepatitis A
>and Hepatitis B were standard requirements for American school
>children. (correct me if I'm wrong).
>
>So it's 2005, and I find myself working in the hell-hole known as the
>Philippines... otherwise known as the hepatitis capital of the world.
>I once oversaw blood test of 10 random people here, and only 3 of the
>results didn't test positive for one sort of blood disease or another.
>
>
>Anyway, are there any preventive measures I can take while I'm staying
>here? Are those immunization shots I took some 15 years ago enough to
>keep me from being infected with Hepatitis A for the rest of my life...
>or do I need to get vaccinated again after all these years? I
>apologize if these questions sound stupid.

Michael Hearne

2005-08-09, 10:55 pm

mexican_equivalent@yahoo.com wrote:
> x-no-archive: yes
>
> When I attended grade school and highschool in the late '80s to early
> '90s, I remember the public school system required vaccinations for a
> host of diseases. I'm assuming that immunization shots for Hepatitis A
> and Hepatitis B were standard requirements for American school
> children. (correct me if I'm wrong).
>
> So it's 2005, and I find myself working in the hell-hole known as the
> Philippines... otherwise known as the hepatitis capital of the world.
> I once oversaw blood test of 10 random people here, and only 3 of the
> results didn't test positive for one sort of blood disease or another.
>
>
> Anyway, are there any preventive measures I can take while I'm staying
> here? Are those immunization shots I took some 15 years ago enough to
> keep me from being infected with Hepatitis A for the rest of my life...
> or do I need to get vaccinated again after all these years? I
> apologize if these questions sound stupid.
>

Don't worry about the rest of your life, hep A is treatable, but you
become more susceptible to hep B. There is a vaccine for hep B, but it
goes away by itself in most people. I have hep C, and with interferon it
clears in some, but not in most.

So I've had hep B and it's gone. I had the vaccine for hep A, so I'll
never get it. I had hep C for 26 years before it was finally diagnosed,
because A. my symptoms didn't match the disease, and B. they weren't
able to see the virus.

Remember, every doctor is going to have their own opinion, so get lot's
of lab tests, and one liver biopsy. They'll want to do the biopsy every
five years, but I really don't see why, unless thats the only way to
tell if they're looking at live virus or old anti-bodies. I don't think
I'll get another one.

Michael

Waterspider

2005-08-10, 5:57 pm

"Michael Hearne" <here@home.us> wrote in message news:DLdKe.5869> Don't
worry about the rest of your life, hep A is treatable, but you
> become more susceptible to hep B. There is a vaccine for hep B, but it
> goes away by itself in most people. I have hep C, and with interferon it
> clears in some, but not in most.
> Michael

Pegylated interferon with ribavirin works on more than not. Genos 1 & 4 are
over 60%; genos 2 & 3 are over 80%.

Waterspider

Michael Hearne

2005-08-13, 8:54 am

Waterspider wrote:

>"Michael Hearne" <here@home.us> wrote in message news:DLdKe.5869> Don't
>worry about the rest of your life, hep A is treatable, but you
>
>
>
>Pegylated interferon with ribavirin works on more than not. Genos 1 & 4 are
>over 60%; genos 2 & 3 are over 80%.
>
>Waterspider
>
>
>
>
OK, first year I did the 48 weeks of Interferon Alfa-2b plus Ribavirin,
then skipped a year, then 28 weeks of Pegasys plus Ribavirin and
starting in October, they want me to start daily shots of Infergen plus
Ribavirin.

I'm really not looking forward to it at all. Most of the people who
started with me in 2001 have just quit (or cleared) by now.

I am genotype 1. As to the rest I haven't been keeping track, but I'll
have all new complete labs in October. I hope I don't have to do another
biopsy, after the last one, I spent two days in the hospital (there was
a bleeding problem).

Be well,

Michael

Waterspider

2005-08-15, 5:54 pm

"Michael Hearne" <here@home.us> wrote ...
> Waterspider wrote:
> OK, first year I did the 48 weeks of Interferon Alfa-2b plus Ribavirin,
> then skipped a year, then 28 weeks of Pegasys plus Ribavirin and starting
> in October, they want me to start daily shots of Infergen plus Ribavirin.

So it's time to bring out the big guns...
>
> I'm really not looking forward to it at all.

It's for sure not gonna be fun, but please remember that you're fighting for
your life here

Most of the people who
> started with me in 2001 have just quit (or cleared) by now.
>
> I am genotype 1. As to the rest I haven't been keeping track, but I'll
> have all new complete labs in October. I hope I don't have to do another
> biopsy, after the last one, I spent two days in the hospital (there was a
> bleeding problem).

I had a similar biopsy experience, not common but not unheard of either.
Your biopsy would have established that your liver damage was far enough
along to recommend treatment, but with that established it's unlikely that
they'll want you to do another, especially since you had complications. What
were the results of your (first) biopsy?
>
> Be well,
> Michael

I was lucky enough to have success with treatment, so I am well. Feeling, in
fact, better than I have in years and years and years. Good luck to you,
Michael.

Waterspider

Professeur Von TwoSteps OA.

2005-08-19, 9:00 am

From : "Waterspider" <waterspider@moonshine.net>
Message-ID : <hl7Me.180762$HI.57910@edtnps84>

>Your biopsy would have established that your liver damage..

<Quack snip>

>Feeling, in fact, better than I have in years and years and years

That may be, but you still are a XXXXX punk doctor wannabe

Waterspider

2005-08-23, 5:55 pm

"Professeur Von TwoSteps OA." <.@.> wrote in message
news:16110152.f56330@news.bumsport.net...
> From : "Waterspider" <waterspider@moonshine.net>
> Message-ID : <hl7Me.180762$HI.57910@edtnps84>
>
>
>
>
> <Quack snip>
>
>
>
> That may be, but you still are a XXXXX punk doctor wannabe

Welcome back, Prof. Hope you had a nice sabbitical over the summer.

Waterspider