Re: Booster Shots: Andy, what about Hep A?

[Guest guest]

> I see the consensus among the group is to definitely NOT vaccinate and/or get

> boosters. But what about Hep A? I live in South Texas, close to the Mexican

> border and it is recommended that everyone get Hep A shots down here, and all

> schoolchildren are now required. It is my understanding that it is spread by

> fecal contact (unwashed hands, etc.). Given that it would be easy to

> contract this from a restaurant or food source, does it make sense to

vaccinate?

> Which risk is worse?

I don't know. It depends on your local conditoins. The health

department ought to be able to tell you what the rate of contracting

hepatitis A is locally. Assumem the vaccine reactions are aboiut 100

times as common and as bad as they say and you'll be close enough to

accurate to compare the risks.

> I have a waiver from vaccination requirements, but was wondering if I should

> give them Hep A anyway. I would hate to destroy their livers by NOT giving it

> to them.

Yeah, and you would hate to have them react by giving it.

If any family member did react to a vaccine I would say consider the

risk tremendously greater than the supposed risks for the general

recipeint.

Call the health department. Get real numbers. It is impossible to

make a rational decision in the absence of some kind of numbers in this

kind of caes.

Andy. . . .. . . .

[Guest guest]

Is there really a risk of " destroying the liver " of a child who gets

hepatitis A? I thought that in fact young children get over Hep A

very quickly and that it is their parents who may take a year to

recover fully (no alcohol!).

Margaret (UK)

> > I see the consensus among the group is to definitely NOT

vaccinate and/or get

> > boosters. But what about Hep A? I live in South Texas, close

to the Mexican

> > border and it is recommended that everyone get Hep A shots down

here, and all

> > schoolchildren are now required. It is my understanding that it

is spread by

> > fecal contact (unwashed hands, etc.). Given that it would be

easy to

> > contract this from a restaurant or food source, does it make

sense to vaccinate?

> > Which risk is worse?

>

> I don't know. It depends on your local conditoins. The health

> department ought to be able to tell you what the rate of

contracting

> hepatitis A is locally. Assumem the vaccine reactions are aboiut

100

> times as common and as bad as they say and you'll be close enough

to

> accurate to compare the risks.

>

> > I have a waiver from vaccination requirements, but was wondering

if I should

> > give them Hep A anyway. I would hate to destroy their livers by

NOT giving it

> > to them.

>

> Yeah, and you would hate to have them react by giving it.

>

> If any family member did react to a vaccine I would say consider

the

> risk tremendously greater than the supposed risks for the general

> recipeint.

>

> Call the health department. Get real numbers. It is impossible

to

> make a rational decision in the absence of some kind of numbers in

this

> kind of caes.

>

> Andy. . . .. . . .

[Guest guest]

> Is there really a risk of " destroying the liver " of a child who gets

> hepatitis A? I thought that in fact young children get over Hep A

> very quickly and that it is their parents who may take a year to

> recover fully (no alcohol!).

> Margaret (UK)

Honestly I don't think anyone ever gets over it, despite MD

superstition, but I don't think it destroys many livers either.

Basically after hepatitis you excrete bile less well so all the things

(fish mercury being a big one) that levae your body that way become

much more dangerous, and you don't digest fat well at all.

Otherwise basically OK.

Andy . . . . . . . .. . . . .