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Questions About Vaccines Series (Hepatitis A and B)?
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Alo
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Default Questions About Vaccines Series (Hepatitis A and B)? - 05-08-2010, 06:21 PM

Some fellow employees and I are traveling to India in less than two weeks.

I went to a University Assoicated Phyician and my fellow employee went to the Health Department.

They were given the Hepatitis A and B shot in 1 dose.

I was advised that it is not effective if I do not do the recommended Hepatitis A and B series ( 3 total shots over the course of a few months). However due to the fact that I was not going to be in the country when I needed the second shot, I was advised that it would not be effective in preventing contracting the disease as I do not have the time to build immunity.

I am concerned with the conflicting information. All the information from the CDC and other vaccine sites state that it needs to be given in the series for the 95% immunity against it.

Any insight?
   
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Default 05-09-2010, 06:21 PM

I was told that the vaccine for hep a was one shot and for hep b it was a series of shots. I was told that several years ago, and again last year by my Hepatologist at a transplant unit. I have never heard of one shot for hepatitis b vaccine. That does not mean that it does not exist. You could check the website for the American Liver Foundation. Check out information on hep b and see about the vaccine under how to prevent.
   
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Default 05-14-2010, 06:21 PM

I am not clear on whether or not you received any vaccines at your visit. If you were declined the hepatitis A vaccine, I would disagree with both providers.

Hepatitis A has a very long incubation period (the time between exposure and illness) so the vaccine may be given up to 2 weeks after exposure, or anytime prior to travel. When travel is imminent, single-antigen vaccine (not the combination) is recommended because this vaccine has twice the antigen content of the combination vaccine. It is given in two doses at least 6 months apart for long-term protection, but the first dose is over 90% effective, at least in the short term. Certain people are recommended to get immune globulin instead, if it is available.
The combination hepatitis A and B vaccine, Twinrix, contains half the hepatitis A dose of the single-antigen hepatitis A vaccine and exactly the same hepatitis B content as the single-antigen hepatitis B vaccine. It is best if this combination vaccine series can be completed before travel, either on the regular (0, 1, 6 month) or accelerated (0, 7, 21 day) schedule. With the latter schedule a booster is recommended at 12 months but there is very good short-term protection after the three doses. Since you have less than 2 weeks before travel, I would recommend 1 dose of single-antigen hepatitis A vaccine, 1 dose of single-antigen hepatitis B vaccine if you wanted it (there is about 30% response after 1 dose and you could complete the series later), one dose of typhoid vaccine and a single dose of polio vaccine if you have not had a dose of polio vaccine as an adult, and a prescription for malaria prophylaxis. (There is an oral typhoid vaccine, but it must be taken over 6 days and you do not have time.) If you will be making similar trips in the future, make sure you complete these vaccine series.

A reference for you:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5641a3.htm

also go to CDC.gov/travel and look up India
   
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Default 05-16-2010, 06:21 PM

Your most likely given the Twinrix vaccine, which contains both the A and B vaccine (see link below).

A month after the first vaccination, most people will develop antibodies to protect them from hepatitis A. You will have some protection against hepatitis B, but you need the two additional shots to be fully protected.
   
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