Vaccine for Heb B not effective

I recieved the hep B series of vaccines about 10 years ago. Roughly 2 years ago I needed to get the titier to hep B performed to show immunity because I was going into the health profession. Well, my titer for hep B surface antbody was 111.0 mIU/mL. This of course meant that I was still immune. Well, about 6 months ago I was accidentally stuck with a needle. My lab results came back and showed that my hep B surface antibody was <5 (L) mIU/mL, and the Hep S Ag was reactive. I needed to give more blood because they ran out of serum to complete the testing. In any event, I would just like to know if anyone has ever heard of someone getting hep B even after getting vaccinated and showing positive immunity shortly before becoming infected? And if so, what exactly was the point of me getting the vaccine if I was never really protected?

[zellyf]

Something doesn't add up.  Redo the test and see if you got a false positive on surface antigen.

[cajim]

In any event, I would just like to know if anyone has ever heard of someone getting hep B even after getting vaccinated and showing positive immunity shortly before becoming infected? And if so, what exactly was the point of me getting the vaccine if I was never really protected?

--Also, with a weak antibody, there may be the need for a booster for continued protection.

[zerocool12790]

Thanks for the reply. I gave more blood for whatever the rest of the tests that need to be done to be done. I don't get those back until later in the week. If they come back negative then I'll definitely ask for the original tests to be done again. It's just amazing to me to have immunity from the virus, and then suddenly become infected and lose the immunity. It doesn't make sense to me.

[zerocool12790]

Thank you also for your reply. In your comment you say that if the antibody is "weak" then it might be necessary for a booster shot. But how would you know if the antibody is "weak" in the first place? By getting infected and realizing that it's weak? I'm just at a loss here because my titers came back well over the amount necessary to be considered immune and that's 10 years after getting the original shots. And then roughly two years after that the titers drop to >5 and I'm suddenly infected. I just don't get it. Has anyone ever heard of becoming chronically infected after receiving the vaccine and having titers definitively showing immunity?

[cajim]

But how would you know if the antibody is "weak" in the first place?

--When anti-HBs is not in the hundreds or thousands.

[zerocool12790]

"--When anti-HBs is not in the hundreds or thousands."

Sounds like a good enough standard. But my titer was at 111.0 mIU/mL. And the reference range for immunity is > or = 10. So according to all the data, it appeared that my antibodies were not weak and there would be no reason to get a booster. So what in the world happened?

[cajim]

it appeared that my antibodies were not weak and there would be no reason to get a booster.

--Ask your doc.