Posted by strikeeagle on December 12, 2000 at 08:11:35:
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In a thread on another board, I posted an open question about members getting the Hepatitis Vaccine series. To the original request, I've seen only one direct response to the question. (thanks Shorts) And, there was an inquiry as to what I was talking about. I figure that this is important enough to post on it's own thread. (and I'm cross posting this to multiple boards as a way to get the word out to everyone) Though some of the 'old hands' will already know about this info, I felt that it was worthy of sharing with the community. There is a vaccine series that protects one against some strains of hepatitis. (Hepatitis A & B ) These vaccinations are now part of the routine series that are given to children to protect them from childhood illnesses, but the Hep B vaccine only became common for children born in 1982, or later, so I'm pretty sure that nobody on the board had the series as a matter of course. (detailed info can be found at the CDC web site. http://www.cdc.gov/travel/vaccinat.htm ) The Hep. A vaccine is a single immunization, but again is fairly new, and is suggested for people in certain areas of the world, or those visiting those areas. The Hep. B vaccine is a three stage immunization that is given at 0, +30days and +6months. In other words, you get the first, and wait 30 days to get the second, then get the final shot 6 months after you got the first one. Each stage gives a higher degree of protection, but it's a geometric progression of protection. (one gets only 30% protection after the second shot, and 90%+ comes 30+ days after the final immunization) With all the talk about STDs and certainly with a certain hobbyists little 'blood' incident (mentioned on another forum), it seemed a good time to bring up this subject. With my upcoming trip to BKK, I did some research to find out if there was anything that I should get in the way of inoculations. Malaria, of course, was the number one concern that I found, and I've availed myself of an antimalarial medication for my trip. (the risk of Malaria in TJ is pretty limited due to the climate, but Costa Rica visitors should take note) Then came the suggestion to get immunized for Hepatitis A & B. (details noted above) Typhoid Fever was next on the list. Again is pretty much limited to Asia, Africa and tropical South America as a risk factor. (and even then, it is mostly suggested for those visiting more rural areas of these locations) I also got a booster on my tetanus-diphtheria, polio and measles vaccinations, just as an added precaution. I post this not to scare anyone, but as an awakening call to keep yourself aware of things all of us can do to be safe. As Shorts put it, "Come on guys, let's get our collective butts in gear and get it done to protect our families, GF and our co-workers and especially ourselves." (Agreed. Thanks, Shorts) Dr. Dick, anything I've missed, or of which we should be made aware?? BTW my Health Insurance covered ALL of the vaccinations and medications that I discussed here, and I'll bet most insurance coverage will do the same.
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