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1694492 tn?1372902994

Hepatitis A Question

Can you get hep a from sharing a straw with someone? The person once had hep a, but he told me he got it taken care of. I know the main causes, but I wasn't too sure about sharing drinks.
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1694492 tn?1372902994
I just got a vaccination and I am getting my booster in 6 months.
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Avatar universal
"Hepatitis B and the need for a booster dose.
Leuridan E, Van Damme P.

After several decades of vaccination against hepatitis B virus in newborns, infants, adolescents, and adults, the question remains whether a booster dose is ever needed. Long-term protection is most commonly measured through 4 methods: the anamnestic response after administration of a booster dose, infection rate in vaccinated populations, in vitro B and T cell activity testing, and seroepidemiological studies. Long-term protection is present despite a decrease in anti-hepatitis B surface antibodies over time. The exact mechanism of long-term protection, however, is not yet fully understood. There is no need for boosters in immunologically potent persons as long as a full course was adequately administered that respected the recommended timelines, as evidenced by studies conducted up to 20 years after the original immunization course. However, a booster dose should be planned for immunocompromised patients, based on serological monitoring."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21653306

Persistence of antibodies and immune memory to hepatitis B vaccine 20 years after infant vaccination in Thailand.

Booster vaccination against hepatitis B (HBV) is not currently recommended, although debate continues on the duration of protection after priming. We assessed antibody persistence and immune memory to hepatitis B 20 years after priming with a recombinant HBV-vaccine during infancy. Infants were vaccinated at birth, 1, 2 and 12 months of age. A subset received a booster dose at Year 5. Antibody persistence was measured approximately yearly until Year 20. Immune memory was assessed by administration of HBV booster dose. At Year 20, anti-HBs seroprotection rates and GMCs tended to be higher in Year 5 boosted than unboosted recipients (83.9% versus 60.5%). After the Year 20 booster dose, anti-HBs anamnestic responses were within the same range 95.8% of subjects in both groups. Primary and booster vaccination with HBV-vaccine in infants induces sustained seroprotection and immune memory against hepatitis B for up to 20 years. Higher persisting seroprotection rates in subjects boosted at Year 5 did not translate into apparent differences in immune memory in a high endemic country."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19892043


It looks like your good up to 20 years after vaccination but you're past that. You might ask your doctor about the advisability of a booster.

Mike
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Avatar universal
I believe that vaccine for Hep A & B administered to adults last 20+ years.

I don't know about infants.

Mike
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1694492 tn?1372902994
Yeah I went on that website. Um this isn't recent...he was diagnosed with it a year ago. I only found about it because he has HIV and I wanted to know what else he had with it. He said that when he was in prison he got the Hep A and they gave him something for it. I also looked into his medical records at the residential place he is staying at since I access and it said he only has HIV and asthma. So I guess I'm good.

I have a question again...I was vaccinated with the Hep A and B vaccination when I was 12 months. I think it contained three shots. How long does that help you for? I'm 23 turning 24 in November btw.
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Avatar universal
My opinion is that, while it may be a possibility if the other person was infectious at the time, it would not be a risk if the infected person had resolved his infection at the time you were sharing straws.
I wouldn't be concerned at all about it.
But, bear in mind that I am in the medical field in any capacity. I am only a patient.

"...Hepatitis A is usually spread when a person ingests fecal matter — even in microscopic amounts — from contact with objects, food, or drinks contaminated by the feces or stool of an infected person.

The best way to prevent Hepatitis A is by getting vaccinated."

See: http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/A/index.htm

Good luck,
Mike
Helpful - 0
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