Hepatitis A Vaccine (poll)

[fortheluvofpooh]

I had my 4 yr old to the dr today for her booster shots for kindergarten registration. The Dr there asked me if I want the Hep A vaccine for DD. I declined. But the dr told me that next year it will be a required vaccine to have. The way to get Hep A is through the exchange of bodily fluids or a blood transusion. Why on earth would they require a kindergarten age child to have this vaccine. . Can anyone help point out the pros and cons of the vaccine? And poll to follow.

 

[princessmom29]

I think you mean Hep B. Hep A is easily trasmitted through contact, like a stomach virus. Hep B trasmits a lot easier than you would think as well. Bodily fluid means any fluid. Siliva vomit, loose stool all carry virus. Kids aren't always vigilant about clean hands. I had a Hep. strain during hurricane fredrick as a child and the strain wasn't identified so my DD got the hep B vac at birth as a precaution.

 

[JUJU814]

nope. my child will not have it.

 

[fortheluvofpooh]

I think you mean Hep B. Hep A is easily trasmitted through contact, like a stomach virus. Hep B trasmits a lot easier than you would think as well. Bodily fluid means any fluid. Siliva vomit, loose stool all carry virus. Kids aren't always vigilant about clean hands. I had a Hep. strain during hurricane fredrick as a child and the strain wasn't identified so my DD got the hep B vac at birth as a precaution.

When I checked with our dr, she said it was Hep A and contracted through bodily fluids exchange. I need to research it more.

 

[honugirl]

I thought Hep A was the food borne one and Hep B was the bodily fluid one? I had to get both when I worked in disaster relief. I believe Hep A can be transmitted by the oral-fecal route.

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/Pubs/vis/downloads/vis-hep-a.pdf

 

[fortheluvofpooh]

see, I can learn more from the Dis boards than from a dr sometimes. Still need to learn more on this vaccine. Thanks for the link

 

[mamaLori05]

I have to look back in my records, but I know one of my kids got the Hep A vaccine a year ago (I've been filling out all the preschool and k paperwork, and now can't remember who had what shots). I want to say it was ds, who is now 2.5. Dd is 4.5 and will be going for her kindergarten shots in a few months. I will get her the Hep A vaccine as well. But yes, I heard it was going to be required soon as well.

Edited to say I just checked: It was ds, he has had 2 doses of hep A vaccine. Once at 12 months, and once at 17 months. Hope that helps.

 

[nursegirl]

I thought Hep A was the food borne one and Hep B was the bodily fluid one? I had to get both when I worked in disaster relief. I believe Hep A can be transmitted by the oral-fecal route.

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/Pubs/vis/downloads/vis-hep-a.pdf

You are correct - that is a great website and the CDC provides the handouts that we are required to give parents at our office. We have had Hep A outbreaks in restaurants, most specifically BBQ, but they can happen anywhere. And Hep B is transmitted through bodily fluids, but all Hepatitis viruses can live outside of the body for sometimes a long time. Hep A is especially hardy, like most oral-fecal viruses, and can live outside the body for awhile. This is the stomach bug month usually anyway - nasty Norovirus and Rotavirus. Gross, I know - wash those hands!

The Hep A series originally was two shots and both were voluntary in our state until I believe last year? But the Hep B is a three shot series and required for school. Our DS 5 has had them all, and our DS 1 just got his first Hep A.

With any vaccines for your children, you should do as much research as you can, and make the most informed decision with the information that is available. Just the fact that you are wondering about it and asking questions means you are a great parent!!

 

[Spoonful of Sugar]

My daughter did not get the Hep B vaccine for this reason. When I was a kid, we got it in elementary school. I can't see any reason for a young child to get any vaccine that has anything to do with bodily fluids unless they're getting a blood transfusion... or a tattoo!

 

[Alesia]

As a preschool teacher, I can guarantee that your young children will come into contact with each others bodily fluids once they begin coming in contact with others. As hard as we try to stop them from spitting on each other, putting their hands in their pants and then touching someone or something, coughing in each others faces, sneezing on each other, putting the toys in their mouths, etc, it doesn't always work. The simple fact is that kids are gross.

Sexual contact is not the only way to exchange fluids.

 

[mjkacmom]

Hep A is usually transmitted through food. DH and I probably ended up getting it at WDW, since our trip was in the window of when we most likely were infected. It's a horrible virus - a 6 week stomach bug. We were yellow, and very thin at the end. We both missed a lot of work. I remember I only had an hour window per day (in the morning) that I could keep down food, so my doctor suggested pasta and ice cream. The rest of the day was spent in bed. And yes, my kids are vaccinated!

ETA - DH and I can no longer give blood, and can't be organ donors. I'm guessing that if our kids needed a kidney, or bone marrow, we couldn't help.

 

[RMulieri]

As a preschool teacher, I can guarantee that your young children will come into contact with each others bodily fluids once they start school. As hard as we try to stop them from spitting on each other, putting their hands in their pants and then touching someone or something, coughing in each others faces, sneezing on each other, putting the toys in their mouthsetc, it doesn't always work. The simple fact is that kids are gross.

Sexual contact is not the only way to exchange fluids.

2nd this.Kids throw up, sneeze, wipe their nose etc all over things,Sexual contact, blood transfusions and tattoos are only ONE way to get Hep B.There is a reason nurses and Drs wear protective clothing around Hep B patients even ift hey are not handling blood.

 

[justinjenn]

My son will recieve Hep A vacc. I had HepA in 97 and it is aweful.. Like a pp I was sick for 6-8 weeks, had to drop out of college and work. It was terrible and if I can prevent that for my son--so be it.
Vaccinations are a choice but you always need to weigh the pros and cons of them. Hep A is fecal-oral contact! Most often a restaraunt worker didnt' wash their hands and ta-da-- we have now passed on the Hep A virus...
Jenn

 

[mamaLori05]

As a preschool teacher, I can guarantee that your young children will come into contact with each others bodily fluids once they start school. As hard as we try to stop them from spitting on each other, putting their hands in their pants and then touching someone or something, coughing in each others faces, sneezing on each other, putting the toys in their mouthsetc, it doesn't always work. The simple fact is that kids are gross.

Sexual contact is not the only way to exchange fluids.

I third this. I too was a preschool teacher before I had my own children. That doesn't just occur at preschool either. I've seen many of the above things happen at playgroups, family gatherings with cousins, etc... Any child in contact with other children is probably exchanging bodily fluids at some point. I also can't tell you how many times I have caught my ds about to take a sip of someone else's soda (at home or family gatherings), which would also be an exchange of bodily fluids.

 

[princessmom29]

My daughter did not get the Hep B vaccine for this reason. When I was a kid, we got it in elementary school. I can't see any reason for a young child to get any vaccine that has anything to do with bodily fluids unless they're getting a blood transfusion... or a tattoo!

body fluid means more than just blood. It can (although not always) be found in saliva,vomit, and feces, and any skinned knee or bloody nose is an open route for a virus that can live for days on surfaces. You can catch hep B in many ways other than tatoos and blood transfusions. My grandad had 3 rounds of chemo befpre he passed. The last time he needed lots of blood products. My mom, who has given blood regularly all he life and never had a problem was regected as donor b/c she carried Hep B antibodies. They have never found them before or since. The theory is that she was exposed in the hospital while grandad was sick.

 

[justhat]

I got the Hep A vaccine at 16yo, before spending a summer in Grenada on a community service project. I was, and am, totally fine. So when our ped suggested that my son get the vaccine (sometime before he turned 2yo), I had no hesitation. I would have gotten it for my daughter but it wasn't offered when she was that age and I really just forgot about vaccinating for her it till now. My 3rd child will get it when it's time and I think I'll do my older one then as well, if I don't do it before then.


As for transmission, my friend's dad got it when he was in Japan for work and not only did his whole family need to get vaccinated, but his mom had to call friends who had been to their home before he was diagnosed as the dr suggested they get the vaccine too. Luckily for me I already had it for the above mentioned trip. But anyway, if the dr suggested friends get it and we were basically all adult age at the time, imagine how fast it could spread through a bunch of preschoolers!

 

[daleswife]

Hep A and Hep B are required before kids can start kindergarten here. They just required hep a here about a year ago though, cause DD was already in kindergarten when she got her first shot. DS is three and has had his first shot too. They will get their second shots next month.

 

[Eyore4Ever149]

If you dont want your kids to have it you can request a waver form- "for religious reasons"

My children will get it before they enter school- but I do not give it to them as infants or toddlers.

 

[Alesia]

I third this. I too was a preschool teacher before I had my own children. That doesn't just occur at preschool either. I've seen many of the above things happen at playgroups, family gatherings with cousins, etc... Any child in contact with other children is probably exchanging bodily fluids at some point. I also can't tell you how many times I have caught my ds about to take a sip of someone else's soda (at home or family gatherings), which would also be an exchange of bodily fluids.

You're exactly right. I realized earlier today that I shouldn't have said "once they start school" and corrected it when I got home.

 

[Hannathy]

My children will get any vaccine they can that will prevent them from catching any disease.

Sorry but that is what advances in medicine are all about! There isn't a vaccine on the market that carries any risks higher than the disease they are protecting people from getting. If a disease was completely harmless why would they develop a vaccine?