I have been going round and round with myself about the HepB vaccine. Well, a friend of mine from nursing school called me tonight. He got his first HepB vax this morning and is now SICK. He is throwing up, has a fever about 100F, he says he feels HORRIBLE and is kinda scared. The nurse told him that some people have these reactions and he called his Dr who told him the same thing, that is sucks but it happens. He is sending a report to VAERS about it though at least. I just hope nothing bad happens to him.
I read stuff like this and get freaked out (and Dr Dunbar is NOT a nut, she is very well known and respected and has gone before Congress about this. Sorry this link though might not be from the greatest source, I couldn't find the one I thought I had bookmarked though, its still exactly the same though) :
But of course who the hell wants to take the risk of the damn disease!? I did read over on the CDC site, if this makes anyone who comes into contract with HepB any better, that 95% of all adults who contract HepB recover completely (but still, who wants to get it to begin with?) and many have no symptoms.
But the vaccine really does scare me, especially when a friend of mine calls me. He is scared to even get anymore and I don't blame him.
I'm just upset and confused and just ughhhh....
I guess one of my main worries about this specific vaccine (no real long term studies have been done) is autoimmune diseases run in my family and I don't want to do anything to increase my odds of getting one basically. We all know that vaccines have risks. How do I decide if my risk is greater for an autoimmune disease (from both my genetics and the vaccine possible) or the risk of HepB itself from a needlestick????
You will find over the course of your career many reactions to drugs, vaccinnes and treatments. We will have drug reactions our self perhaps. And we will see them in our peers, friends and families.
You gotta find a way not to freak out. :)
Hep B is a much more easily transmitted disease than HIV, and from needle sticks and expsoures you're I think 30 times more likely to get Hep B.
Every now and then I run across a patient who says if they would have had their seatbelt on they would have likely died.
Specializes in Oncology, Critical Care, Home Health.
Hi,
Maybe I can help relieve your fears. I took the vaccine several years ago, as did several of my fellow students. Out of 100 of us, none of us got sick. We had all discussed the risks prior to taking the vaccine, and decided that if anyone was going to get sick it would be me, due to my history of allergies. I did not get sick just sore.
Out of those 100 students, only 66 of us graduated, within the first year each of us had suffered at least 1 dirty needle stick. I realize that we have safty needles now, but, I have been stuck by a safety needle as well when a patient was combative.
Those are the realities. Take the vaccine and protect yourself. The risk is higher of suffering a stick than of having a reaction to the vaccine.
Good luck, and remember keep that arm moving and it will be less sore.
Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.
you will find over the course of your career many reactions to drugs, vaccine's and treatments. we will have drug reactions our self perhaps. and we will see them in our peers, friends and families.
you gotta find a way not to freak out. :)
hep b is a much more easily transmitted disease than hiv, and from needle sticks and exposures you're i think 30 times more likely to get hep b.
every now and then i run across a patient who says if they would have had their seatbelt on they would have likely died.
:yeahthat:
because many people who are infected don't know that they are infected, it is very hard to avoid the chance of getting infected with hepatitis b virus. blood from a person infected with hepatitis b virus is heavily contaminated with the virus. virus is also present in saliva. nurses and health care professionals working in hospitals, surgicenters and long term care facilities along with home care nurses are often exposed to blood of other patients while performing wound care, iv therapy, obtaining labs etc.
handling of towels, emesis basins, tissues, suctioning exposes you to saliva.
hepatitis b virus attacks the liver. hepatitis b virus infections are known as the "silent epidemic" because many people infected don't experience symptoms until decades later when they develop hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), cirrhosis (severe liver disease), or cancer of the liver (hepatocellular carcinoma).
this is why all healthcare facilities are required by law to offer this vaccine to protect their employees. if an employee still declines vaccination knowing these risks, then signing a wavier form can be done and relieves facility of liability from work related injury.
“vaccines: separating facts from fear” is a 27-minute video that answers questions many parents have about vaccines. it also contains the stories of several parents whose children suffered vaccine-preventable diseases.
My nursing school requires the HepB vax, so no choice here! Just recently, I found out that my 19 year old son has Hep C. I've been in contact with his blood at home, cleaning and bandaging his latest 'boo-boos'. Of course I didn't wear gloves! (He's my still my baby, even though he is 19; who wears gloves to tend to their own kids?) So you just never know....
You can always take the selenium option, just a thought. You did post about this, and I also have read about it recently independently of what you posted.
I think it is such a personal decision. Just because there is a vaccine for something doesn't mean that we have to have it, or that it is safe, or that it is 100% effective. Also, we don't have vaccines for many horrible conditions/diseases (ie HIV/AIDS), but we still work with those types of patients and are at risk for contracting something. Personally, I got the Hep B vaccine, but every person has a different health history and that should be considered.
You can always take the selenium option, just a thought. You did post about this, and I also have read about it recently independently of what you posted.
Indigo, where else did you find it elsewhere? I have been looking for other studies. I've already started taking selenium :)
I guess I get worried off and on about this one vaccine because my sister is HepB+. She contracted it as a child and is a carrier now. But I also know that 95% of adults who contract HepB recover fully.....but I still can't get the fear of the disease out of my head because of my sisters experience.
My nursing school requires the HepB vax, so no choice here! Just recently, I found out that my 19 year old son has Hep C. I've been in contact with his blood at home, cleaning and bandaging his latest 'boo-boos'. Of course I didn't wear gloves! (He's my still my baby, even though he is 19; who wears gloves to tend to their own kids?) So you just never know....
Sorry to hear that. I know 4 people in my family who contracted HepC and all 4 are now fine thankfully. Good luck to you and your son.
That original link is pretty weak.... its testimony by a PhD in cell biology, with no training in clinical medicine.
Until you do the proper epidemiological studies, or even better yet, randomized controlled clinical trials, then this is very premature.
No randomized controlled clinical trials have EVER been done on ANY vaccine showing it's long term effects.
I agree with what your saying but there are other studies that have been done in the medical journals showing the similiar findings--so that is where my concern comes from with autoimmune diseases running in my family. I have to take my kids to the zoo this morning but I will post some of those other studies later for you all to look at.
Conclusions: "These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that immunization with the recombinant hepatitis B vaccine is associated with an increased risk of MS, and challenge the idea that the relation between hepatitis B vaccination and risk of MS is well understood."
Tweety, BSN, RN
36,350 Posts
You will find over the course of your career many reactions to drugs, vaccinnes and treatments. We will have drug reactions our self perhaps. And we will see them in our peers, friends and families.
You gotta find a way not to freak out. :)
Hep B is a much more easily transmitted disease than HIV, and from needle sticks and expsoures you're I think 30 times more likely to get Hep B.
Every now and then I run across a patient who says if they would have had their seatbelt on they would have likely died.