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????
This post caught my interest. I have been doing research recently on the correlation between Hep B vaccines and multiple sclerosis (MS). The reason I have been researching this is because I was recently diagnosed with MS. Looking back now, I recall having symptoms in my second semester of nursing school. The first thing I noticed was my complexion. Then I started having vertigo and fatigue, followed by numbness in my lower extermities. It took the trip to the ER last month with a diagnosis of optic neuritis and an appointment with a neurologist to get the official diagnosis.
Your link was very informative. Some of the same information I have uncovered was in the link and some new information was presented, too. The CDC denies any link to autoimmune dieseases such as MS. However, the French conducted a study a few years ago and found a direct link between the two and have stopped immunizations among children. There are also other journals articles out there that are peer reviewed that discuss the potential affects of Hep B vaccines and autoimmune disease.
If I had the opportunity to change things, I think I wouldn't have taken the Hepatitis B vaccination. This is just my opinion. I'm not trying to scare anyone, either...just my story and what has happened.
Some how I missed this. I am so sorry to hear about your diagnoses of MS. Yes I agree, if you do the research there ARE peer reviewed studies about the HepB vac and MS and other demylinating diseases. I have some concerns with this particular vaccine myself.
Have you looked at the 909shot website? They do have some good information on there, congressional testimonies, studies from medical journals, IOM, etc:
I am one of thoses that get sick when taking the series and the health care providers tell me that I should not get sick. It really bothers me because I normally don't get sick, not even a cold. Well, before starting a CNA job, I had to restart the series before starting because my titer shows I have no antibodies even though it was only 1.5 years since the first series. I tried to fight against taking it but it was either take it or you don't work here. I needed the job.
A couple of months, I had a low risk exposure but since the pt had TB and MRSA, I had to get tested. Still no antibodies. In about 3-4 months, I will be tested again because I will be finishing BSN program. I am hoping I can opt out of taking another series because it makes me sick and my bodies is not developing any antibodies!!!
I am one of thoses that get sick when taking the series and the health care providers tell me that I should not get sick. It really bothers me because I normally don't get sick, not even a cold. Well, before starting a CNA job, I had to restart the series before starting because my titer shows I have no antibodies even though it was only 1.5 years since the first series. I tried to fight against taking it but it was either take it or you don't work here. I needed the job.
A couple of months, I had a low risk exposure but since the pt had TB and MRSA, I had to get tested. Still no antibodies. In about 3-4 months, I will be tested again because I will be finishing BSN program. I am hoping I can opt out of taking another series because it makes me sick and my bodies is not developing any antibodies!!!
Here is some info for you to look at. Sorry you've had such a crappy time. My friend I talked about in the OP is STILL SICK today!
State exemptions (scroll near the bottom to click on each state):
Here is some info from the CDC (Pink Book) about HepB vaccine and immunity. Scroll down to page 225 under Vaccine Nonresponse. Maybe it will help some:
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.
Sorry MM, I've been under the weather with some kind of allegic cold thing
and had to go to Urgent Care today for asthma exacerbation. I think all the meds on board are keeping me awake tonight. I am still seeking for your info, but it is entirely possible that all will allude back to that Chinese study.
Sorry MM, I've been under the weather with some kind of allegic cold thing
and had to go to Urgent Care today for asthma exacerbation. I think all the meds on board are keeping me awake tonight. I am still seeking for your info, but it is entirely possible that all will allude back to that Chinese study.
No problem, I appreciate you looking for me though and I hope you feel better! I have been looking and can only find that one study (which honestly doesn't give me a lot of confidence in it)...I still think it doesn't hurt to take selenium, it can't hurt any right?
No problem, I appreciate you looking for me though and I hope you feel better! I have been looking and can only find that one study (which honestly doesn't give me a lot of confidence in it)...I still think it doesn't hurt to take selenium, it can't hurt any right?
Feeling lots better, thank you. I take selenium also. I was looking at some recommendations for using selenium for other viruses also. I will find whatever it was that I read, with some more digging. The question is where did they get the info?
Has anyone heard of Dr Sherri Tenpenny? I recently saw her DVD on choices, she went thru all sorts of statistics and research.
She sure didn't sound like a nut to me. But her website was pretty commerciallized so i wonder if anyone else had seen it or heard of her and what her reputation is
I took the Hep B series and had no problems. The biggest threat from the virus is to infants. The CDC website says "Approximately 90% of babies who contract hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection will become chronic carriers and, of those, 25% will die of liver cancer or cirrhosis."
Personally, I get every vaccination I can. But, I support other people's right to refuse them.
OK, I finally found the article I had been reading about selenium and Hep B, in "Alternatives" June 06, a newletter by Dr. David G. Williams. He is discussing various ways to prevent flu, including bird flu, and that more research is showing that selenium can stop the replication of viruses. Brazil nuts are the food source highest in selenium, and that eating a handful daily could make a difference in whether you get sick or not from flu.
What interested me was that he suggested reading "What Really Causes Aids" by Harold D. Foster. In the book, Foster is connecting the development of deficiencies in selenium over the last 50 years to current pandemics of HIV-1, HIV-2, Hep B, Hep C, and Coxsackie B viruses. These viruses cause a depletion of selenium in the body. HIV also depletes the host of cysteine, glutamine, and tryptophan. All are necessary with selenium, for the body to produce glutathione peroxidase, the enzyme that stops viral replication.
"Orthomolecular Medicine News Service April 26, 2006", has a clinical report from Zambia, Uganda, and South Africa that supports Foster's contention that supplementing the diet with the above four items showed a complete remission of symptoms in AIDS patients.
I just started nursing school and I received the hepatitis b vaccination. A couple of hours later, my eyes started to turn red like I had conjunctivitis. I saw the doctor who gave me antiobiotic eye drops. During the next three weeks I experienced severe headaches, burning, red eyes, photophobia, dizziness, nausea, tingling down my arms, and lower left and right back tenderness (possible kidney inflammation). However, I do not have a fever.
My family has a history of Lupus and I am waiting for the results of my ANA panel. I do think that it was the hepatitis B vaccination that may have triggered a lupus flare.
Just the other day I rec'd a new employee physical where the PA was about to give DTaP, chickenpox and start a second Hep B series. I did not seroconvert on the first Hep B series and have very low titers to chickenpox (although I have been asymptomatically exposed to chickenpox lesions from my child & sister, shingle's lesions from not only my husband, but also from patients). The PA thought I was crazy by only permitting the DTaP (she said that the ED/CDC/IC dept. required Pertussis, although I had the DT 4 years ago). After being told that I had only a 15% chance of seroconverting after a second series for Hep B, it wasn't hard doing a risk-benefit analysis on that one.
Now I am even second guessing the DTaP. I am running a low grade fever with a HA, my arm is extremely painful, swollen, red, hot and hard at the injection site. Employee health said that this is to be expected at my age and receiving the immunization under the 5 year window from the last DT. Now I'm told this? Fine way to spend what I was hoping to be a vacation in between jobs. Also, now that I think about it, there are no children in the new ED because a children's hospital is right across the street-so, why the need for Pertussis? Guess this new place must pack them in so tight that they consider me to be at risk for human kennel cough!
Essentially, it is OK to consider protecting ourselves; but, doesn't it seem to go too far? There does not seem to be much talk about risk versus benefit anymore (informed consent)-just vaccinate for anything they make a vaccine for. Yes, I want to be protected, but not debilitated by something else that is a by-product of trying to obtain that protection.
marilynmom, LPN, NP
2,155 Posts
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