Yes, it is very disappointing to hear this… But it does reflect a common sentiment (one which I’ve even heard from colleagues in the scientific sector).
The hepatitis B foundation (@chari.cohen) has put out a media release response: Universal Infant Vaccine Birth Dose Saves Thousands of Lives: A response from the Hepatitis B Foundation » Hepatitis B Foundation
I think we can all do our little bit by having conversations in our network and making change locally. There are some resources for this: Hep B Birth Dose Media Toolkit » Hepatitis B Foundation
Hope this helps,
Thomas
What a big BS this guy RFK is . Both my sons have Hep B due to vertical transmission . All my grandchildren had been vaccinated and are free of Hep B
It is more than a disappointment. His vaccine advice is contrary to established science. We must fight RFK and his vaccine policy strongly and forcefully, it is our duty and right.
I think RFK Jr. has a point. What is the point in vaccinating newborn babies against hepatitis B if their mother is not a hepatitis B carrier? It would make much more sense to vaccinate more adults who are probably at greater risk of contracting the virus sexually.
The point of vaccinating children is to prevent any infection. Infants are more vulnerable to HBV than adults. 1 out 10 adults exposed to HBV will develop a chronic infection, but in infants/children that is 9 out of 10. That is why birth dose vaccines are recommended. We have been vaccinating children since the 1990s and have saved many babies and children from this illness. If we lose this, we will begin to see an increase in HBV cases among children as it happens in countries that don’t have a birth dose or lack vaccination programs. Something we all must consider. Do we protect the 90 percent of children or 10 percent of adults? We must do both.
Hi @Barry,
As mentioned by @Bansah1, the risk of chronic infection is high in young people and the mothers are not the only potential source: there are other children, surgeries, blood donations, etc. The vaccine has been shown to be safe, it is one of the most frequently given vaccinations.
I guess you could think about it this way: we don’t only make speeders wear seatbelts, we make it mandatory for everyone for everyone’s safety. Anyone, no matter where they are positioned in life and society, has some risk of being exposed to HBV.
Thomas
Well, I have a chronic hepatitis B infection and I contracted the virus as an adult so I’m mad as hell that no doctor ever recommended the vaccine to me. As regards children, I’ve never in my life heard of a child contracting hepatitis B. And aren’t blood donations screened anyway for hepatitis B? I think the real reason children are given the vaccine over adults is that the vaccine manufacturers can make more money this way: parents usually vaccinate their kids against everything that’s recommended whereas adults tend to only get vaccines that are required, e.g. for travel or in order to not be treated like a second class citizen, e.g. the Covid vaccine.
Hi @Barry,
Well I did and so were my siblings and millions of HBV patients around the globe. The reason we don’t see HBV cases among children in the US especially is thanks to these childhood vaccinations we are talking about. The majority of adults who get exposed to HBV clear the virus. I am sorry to hear you were among the 10% who for some reason (s) don’t clear it.
I agree with you, that adult vaccination efforts need to be increased. Hopefully, the new recommendation that anyone 18-59 should be tested and vaccinated against HBV will be a step in the right direction. In the past decades we only focused on the people who were at risk, which was not the best policy. We can do better as a society. Bansah1
Did you contract the virus at birth or during childhood? In my post, I was referring to the fact that I never heard of anyone contracting hepatitis B as a child, e.g. through contact with infected blood or whatever. I wasn’t referring to infection at birth.
Unfortunately, the recommendation that everyone aged between 18 and 59 should get vaccinated is only in the US and not elsewhere. Furthermore, recommendations from public health authorities are useless unless these recommendations are actually communicated to patients in doctors’ practices, through adverts on TV, etc. I belong to a supposedly high-risk category for hepatitis B - which some of my doctors knew - and yet not a single doctors ever told me about this virus or the vaccine.
Hi @Barry,
I contracted it at birth, but yes I have heard about children contracting it when no parent had it. It might not be the majority of cases but it does happen. Childhood protection is important given the increased risk of developing a chronic disease.
You are 100% right. There’s no use for a policy if it’s not enforced and communicated to the population. Yes, it’s only here but other countries are considering these changes as well. Continued HBV education is very important here for the public, providers and other health professionals. Sadly to say but there are some providers today who have no idea about HBV. I can’t remember how many times I have had to educate some provider’s I see. They know about hepatitis A and C, but little about B.
We definitely need to do a better job to prevent what happened to you from happening to others. I am sorry that someone dropped the ball in your case despite knowing that you were at risk. Bansah1
It’s very frustrating for me. It’s like they don’t care if an adult contacts the virus. I was only 38 when I was diagnosed. That’s still young!
Your frustration is valid. That’s a huge problem with our health care system. It’s like the patient have to know everything and advocate for it. But I think providers can do a lot better in educating their patients. Like you I was in my 30’s when I found out as well. The diagnosis throws a huge wrench into everything one had planned to do. I completely agree and understand your frustration.
I hope your liver is fine and you can live as close to a normal life as you can. Best, Bansah1
Unfortunately my liver values were not good when I last got my blood tested (in April). My viral load was also very high. The reason for this is that another doctor, who I went to for a second opinion last year, told me I was cured and could stop taking the medication, which I did for six months. Needless to say, I’m now taking the medication again. This, too, is very frustrating. When one doctor says one thing and the other doctor says something else, who the hell is the patient supposed to believe? These people are supposed to be the experts.
I hear you. That will get anyone frustrated. We try to encourage patients to find providers who treat HBV. Some providers have never treated anyone with HBV and that could be a challenge. It’s challenging at times to locate providers that are vexed in treating HBV. Why 2 doctors say 2 different things is confusing, but it does happen sometimes. In my case, I always try to get an idea on the topic or issue before my appointment so I can probe things further with questions. I am not shy about asking questions, lol. I do have a good relationship with my hepatologist and he respects my view point. We work well together as a team with one common goal: keep me away from severe liver issues.
I understand how angering it’s to see those test numbers high, but let’s remain hopeful that you can achieve the clearance again with time on the antiviral. I do believe that is still possible, and my evidence is that you have achieved it before. Fingers crossed, that you achieve it again soon. Let’s take it one day at a time. We can’t give up. We keep fighting and hoping for better days ahead. Best, Bansah1.
The doctor who told me I could discontinue the medication is a specialist in infectious diseases so you’d think he’d know about hepatitis B. My original doctor, who was amazed that the other doctor said I could discontinue the medication, is a gastroenterologist and hepatologist.
Yeah, you are correct about that. It is unfortunate but I can’t say I am surprised. There are some infectious diseases specialists who have never treated an HBV patient or seen one before. I count myself lucky to have a hepatologist that has experience in treating HBV. I hope the original doctor can guide you through this, sounds like they knew more than the specialist did. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need to talk or just need to vent. We need all the support we can get as we navigate through this HBV path.