Did your Hep B Vaccine Take?

[jmjm530]

My series of Hep B vaccines did not take.

This the third time I've had the series, and while the first two times I might have missed the third shot -- this time I got all three shots within the required time period.

Wondering what the collective experience here is on the Hep B vaccine. Did it take after the first series? After the second series? Did you have a third series? Did you double dose at some point?

I'm guessing the next step is the doc will double-dose the vaccine -- either that or tell me to forget about it.

-- Jim

[jmjm530]

Oh yeah, and gee thanks Jim, posting this thread and giving me something completely new to worry about...
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Listen, any time your stress hormone levels just aren't delivering, just let me know.

[jmjm530]

Thanks. Now, if I get this right, combining all the studies --

I should do a higher dose, with longer intervals, in the late afternoon, injected into the upper arm, after visiting Jenny*, and after having a sex change operation. Except that I should have done all this at age 16, before I started smoking and probably in Germany, where they understand all these things.

You know -- I was going to ask my doc to  try another series, but now not quite sure it's worth it :)

*http://www.jennycraig.com/

[drofi]

Qoute: "women compared to men"

should be females compared to males :-)

[drofi]

Jim,

I have done some literature research on this topic some months ago, but unfortuantely several articles are written in German again. Here is what I have learned from the studies:

1.) Jilg et al., Impfversagen nach Hepatitis-B-Impfung, Einfluss zusätzlicher Impfungen, Dt. med. Wschr. 115 (1990) 1545-1548.
Re-immunisation (1 to 3 times)  of nonresponders resulted in response (6 of 14)

2.) Dennhöfer, Hepatitis-B-Schutzimpfung – Zum Problem der ungenügenden Anti-HBs-Bildung, Dt. med. Wschr. 115 (1990), 1560-1565.
He describes some factors affecting response rates. A higher dose (40 ug instead of 10 ug) is sometime helpful,
A longer interval between immunisations (> 6 months) improves response quality. Interestingly the time of the day (!) had an influence on response rates: Immunisations late afternoon gave better results than early in the morning. The authors suggest a connection to th corticoid level, which is depending on the daytime.

3.) Hofmann et al., Zur Effizienz der Hepatitis B-Schutzimpfung, Gesundheitswesen 59 (1997) 537-534.

A large group of workers at a german university was tested (5035 persons). The best results had women compared to men, jounger beter than older, low BMI beter than high BMI, non-smokers.

4.) Rosman et al., Improving the Response to Hepatitis B Vaccine. Infections in Med., 1999, 205
The authors find better results with higher doses (40 ug) than 10 ug.

5.) Alper et al., Genetic Prediction of Nonrespons to Hepatitis B Vaccine, New Engl. Journ. of Med., 1989.
The authors describe a genetic componenet as responsible factor. This genes do not affect other immunisations.

6.) Stück, Lowresponder nach Hepatitis-B-Impfung im Kindesalter.  Pädiat. Prax. 58, 577-578 (2000).
This work describes bad response in persons with occult HCV infection.

Conclusion from these publications:
The best place for an immunisation seems to be the upper arm. The best time of the day the afternoon. Higher doses and repeated immunisations (long intervals) work sometime. Reimmunisations after the first round should be done after a longer interval, which is 6 months and 18 months.

Good luck! drofi

[alagirl]

Oh yeah, and gee thanks Jim, posting this thread and giving me something completely new to worry about... whether or not my vaccines are working - not to mention my 19 yr old's (sticking out my tongue at you) LOL ;)

Just kidding.  We need to have all the info, great or not.

[alagirl]

You know, I really don't know, on the chronic.  I don't know much about HepB, I'd thought that it was like HCV, and normally chronic unless untreated...  So perhaps that was the case there and his was just was not communicable.  I'll get my hep doctor to test me next time I see him so I can ask him for the appropriate tests (instead of trying to get my primary care doc to try to hash it out - that didn't work out so well when we did the viral load genotype testing.  I don't know if you guys remember, but they ordered it incorrectly, took the lab three miserable weeks to get the damn thing back).  

But definitely, with my health history I want to make certain I'm covered.  With so many people here having gotten the vaccinations after they had HCV and the vaccinations not seeming to take as well, I wonder if the HCV - and hey, this is way out in left field - somehow affects the vaccine?  Nah.  Probably not possible.  Anyway, I'll go ahead my doc test mine.  I NEVER want to have to go through a hideous treatment like this again LOL

Speaking of which, I know its on a different thread but can you BELIEVE they are letting that #^@#@ doctor who shared needles between patients keep his license?  I'm going to write to the medical board in that state and "share" with them just a little bit about what its like living with and treating this disease.  That man does not deserve to continue to practice.  Its an abomination.