Vaccinations

Just wondering how many have gotten vaccinated for Hep B as a precaution,we know its not good to catch hep B while infected with Hep C...im also curious if there is a relation to side effects an TX if one has been vaccinated..i never did go get the Hep B vaccine...maybe the SX from TX drugs are indirectly caused by vaccines...just a thought

[Rain6866]

The first thing my family doc did when I was diagnosed was vaccinate me against Hep A & B. (Too bad theres no vac against C) My Hep doc asked me if I was vac and I told him yes so he sent for my records. Now when I go for my appt on the 13th he tells me my family doc was one shot shy of fully vaccinating me for A so I have to take it then. If my sx gets worse or better Ill let you know.

Both docs have told me that NOT being vaccinated would be a horrible thing because having C makes it soooo much easier to catch the other two. Maybe its something you should think about doing because just trying to get rid of C is enough for me. I cant imagine adding more tx drugs or doubling what Im already on. (I dont know what they treat A or B with)

ask Bill and Jim.. I have a lot of respect for those guys Not to mention everyone else on this board.

Thank you all for helping me
God Bless

[jdwithhcv]

My doctor vaccinated me for Hep A and B as soon as I was diagnosed with C.  My liver has had enough to deal with, don't want to risk another strain of Hep.  I doubt that this affected my sx but there is really no way to know.

[skersj]

I was vaccinated for Hep A & B (combo inj), Td (tetnus/diptheria I think) & pneumovax. I started Hep A&B combo before treatment and received the last of 3 injections while on treatment. I just took my 31st Peg injection. I had very little side effects for the first 18 injections, then my TSH went thru the roof. About the time the thyroid situation was under control then Hgb took a nose dive and I had procrit for 5 weeks in row. Now everything has calmed down and I am feeling fine again without Procrit. Since then, I found out 2 of my 5 sisters were diagnosed with hypothyroidism this year so I think the vaccinations had nothing to do with my sides.

[alwaysconfused]

I was told that I should be vaccinated for Hep A & B, but asked if I could wait until I am SVR, Doctor said yes.  I don't think because you have Hep C that you are more likely to get A or B, it would just be more devastating to the liver.  My doctor thinks everyone should be vaccinated against A & B.
We went to Mexico two years ago and my husband and both kids had the Hep A vaccine.  I didn't have it because years ago I was told that my illness was due to Hep A and I thought I was immune.  Little did I know at that time it was not Hep A, but Hep C.  Actually when my doctor ran the blood tests for Hep A,B & C, I said to her that they will come back with immunity to A and clear for B & C.  Of course that was not the case.

[nygirl7]

I believe it is SOC to be vaccinated.

I've never heard of anyone not being advised to since it is only in your best interest to protect yourself from the possibility of any more liver damage and it won't hurt you whatsoever.

We cannot afford to take the chance.

Always confused I'm not sure why you'd want to wait to see if you get SVR before protecting yourself.  If somehow you do get one of the other heps it could be catastrophic to the condition of your liver.  It's just a simple set of shots but it could end up helping you a lot.

[Rockerforlife]

My GP and liver Doc did recommend hep B vacc but i decided not too...ive read some bad side effects from the vaccines,BTW...if you fought of the hep B and A on your own in the past...do we still need the vaccines or will the now aquired anti-bodies protect us?

[GSDgirl]

I got the B shot but my PCP said I had to go to the Health Dept to get the A.  I never did get the A yet but going to ask my new PCP if he carries it.  

Rocker, I don't know the answer but I'm sure someone else does

Denise

[meakea]

Yup, absolutely, I got the A/B series started as soon as I found out I had Hep C.

[Max60]

I was positive for the hep B and C antigen. . . had cleared B naturally.

I did get the hep A vaccine as soon as I could get in.  Two different docs suggested my liver had suffered about as many insults as it could take and getting hep A might cause severe damage. As it turned out, I  had the first injection pre-tx and the second during.

I found out from my niece recently that kids here cannot enter Head start without being vaccinated. I couldn't detect any sides from the A vaccine.

I think I understand the reluctance to getting vaccinated. For me, this was a special issue.

[pilgrim1951]

I was advised by both my primary and trial doctor to get the vaccine for A & B.  The first two were fairly close to each other and the third was around six months later.  I didn't notice any particular sx's that I would attibute to the vaccines.  It seems to me that we would all kick ourselves by not being proactive and wind up causing more liver damage by not having this done.  

[santana13666]

When Dr told me I was positive for Hep C he told me to get vaccinated for A & B also - so I did.

[IMstacie]

Vaccinated for A & B once I found out about C.  I received the vaccinations with no problems but I often wondered if the recommendation is really for folks that are dealing in risky behavior.  Can't see any reason otherwise.  I mean how often is anyone really exposed to A or B?  I think I would have a better chance of getting shingles or TB.

[pondering]

my hepatologist here (france) advises against getting the hbv vaccine because of its tendency to cause dramatic increases in the viral load and its potential link to auto-immune disorders.  (in 1994 the french ministry of health discontinued mandatory hbv vaccination of infants because of concern over infant deaths and links with auto-immune complications.)

i think it's a really interesting question:  whether some side effects on treatment might be increased or caused by the vaccine.  

previous post concerning spike in viral load and hbv vaccine:  http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Hepatitis-C/Thanks-hepatitisresearcher/show/95213

[desrt]

I got my A and B antibodies the 'natural' way. Doctors tested me when I was first diagnosed with C, years later when I was genotyped, and a couple years later when I started tx. If you've had A and B and cleared them on your own you don't need the shots but should be re-tested occasionally because it's possible to lose the acquired immunity as you age.

[Looks4Path]

My Hepatologist tested for antibodies from Hep B, even though I had a negative test prior for Hep B. Never did understand why. But when I got the call about the viral load and the test results he said there were no antibodies for Hep B, and next office visit I need to be vaccinated for it. I will comply, even though I do not think there is any risk now of me contracting Hep B. Come to think of it though, I did not think there was much chance I had Hep C, and that was a complete surprise!

LD

[Rockerforlife]

YOU SAID:

If you've had A and B and cleared them on your own you don't need the shots but should be re-tested occasionally because it's possible to lose the acquired immunity as you age


this is the answer i was hoping for

thank you

[merryBe]

before tx is best to vaccinate...the point is, forming the antibodies to a small exposure of dead virus is far less taxing and is a protection against coming up against the live virus, which especially while treating can be devastating to the liver.

same thing with pneumonia...you get exposed when you WBC is low...and you may not have a fighting chance...so as a preventative getting these is advance is overwhelmingly more logical.

Also, not to sound prejudice, but having a family in the restaurant business I shlepped my share of grub. The kitchen help in most places are notoriously underpaid, undereducated and often illegal immigrants. I can't tell you the things I witnessed or you would never eat out again. But I can tell you that 50% of mexicans are carriers of hep a or B...and they represent a lot of the kitchen staff in the bigger cities.
We almost never eat out because of things I witnessed behind the scenes....
so if you are someone who does eat out, or does fast food joints....you really want to be innoculated.

and no, I don't think this is what your symptoms are from.  This treatment is hell, hades, and a few other choice words I won't use....it's the drugs you are on now, not your vaccine. The vaccines are pretty weak...sometimes so weak they don't even "take"...so the chances of you reacting strongly is very rare, or getting the disease from them is almost nonexistant.

mb