hep b 3rd shot

[sensual1973]

am getting my 3rd hepB injection late December,then a booster a year after my first injection,was wondering when anti-bodies usually develop,or shall i wait for the whole course and test ? -it's quiet a long wait.

cheers.

[Inchlingblue]

Elf had a recent thread because he had three Hep B shots and he was not able to develop the antibodies. I don't know how common this is, he did not mention the booster after the 3rd injection, which you say you are doing.

If I were you I would definitely do the booster and just be patient and hope for the best. Also, maybe Dr. Gallant or the doctors on thebody.com have some insight on this.

LINK TO ELF'S THREAD:

http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=30075.0

[sensual1973]

Inchingblue
i did the HepB vaccines couple of years ago and didnt develop the anti-bodies too,thats why my doc reccomends a boost this time,hope it works.

[Miss Philicia]

I just had to get a booster for Hep B last week, and I know I've had one at least twice before.  My initial 3-part vaccination was back in the mid-90's and that is standard.  I think my doctor tests me for antibody response every five years, and I guess for some of us we have to get the booster, at least that's how I understand it... I'm far from expert status with this topic.  However, I'm not sure if it's typical just to give someone a booster without testing to see how they responded to the initial 3-part vaccine, which is what it seems sensual1973 is saying.

[PozBrian]

I had the full course of Hep B shots quite a few years ago, not long after the became available it think. Anyway. When I tested HIV+ the obligatory Hep B test came back that I was not immune, meaning the shots didn't take. Apparently it happens. So I was scheduled to get the full course again. I got the first one but then on my next set of blood tests, I showed immunity to Hep B.

Not sure if it was a lab mistake or what. It got me out of the last two Hep B shots though

[elf]

There is a detailed article on this:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1525180/?tool=pmcentrez
---
Some approaches after the vaccine failure {I've read it on Pubmed}:

1. revaccination with normal, but frequent doses: 0,1,2,3,4,5 instead of 0,1,6

2. revaccination with double doses

3. intradermal revaccination (instead of intramuscular)

4. HBV + HAV combined vaccination

http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/589722

Conclusion.Revaccination of nonresponders to the standard hepatitis B vaccine regimen with a double dose of the combined hepatitis A and B vaccine was highly effective. This is most likely explained by the increased dose, a positive bystander effect conferred by the hepatitis A vaccine, or both.

[jcelvis]

Everyone is different. I only had 1 heb B shot and one heb A shot before I was immune. I never had to take any booster shots. I was 20 at the time and going for a routine STD when I found out about my immunity to both of them.

[jcelvis]

My Heb B test show up like so.

Name                                                      Value              Reference Range

HEPATITIS B SURFACE ANTIBODY QL      REACTIVE      NON-REACTIVE
HEPATITIS B SURFACE ANTIGEN              NON-REACTIVE   NON-REACTIVE
HEPATITIS B CORE AB TOTAL                      REACTIVE      NON-REACTIVE


Doctor explained to me that these results show: A) That I was once exposed the virus but able to clear it from my body or B) That my vaccine effectively made me immune to the Heb B virus or  C) A combination of both, that  I was exposed to the virus, but my vaccine was strong enough to kill it.

Hope that helps you out.

James

[tednlou2]

I've wondered a lot about this.  So far, I've taken 2 shots of the Hep A & B vaccine.  I'm suppose to get the 3rd early next year.  I've heard many docs don't want to test for antibodies--especially if a person doesn't have insurance and is on some kind of assistance.  I hope that isn't widespread.  Then, I read the 3rd shot is usually not necessary because the first 2 usually do the trick.  It appears that obviously isn't true for everyone. 

I've wondered about my pneumonia vaccine.  I got it in the hospital when my CD-4 was 171 after getting pneumonia.  I've read I probably didn't get a good immune response because of low CD-4.  I've wondered whether a booster would be in order now instead of the 5 year mark. 

I hope they work for you and you don't have to start over. 

[jcelvis]

hep A is only a 2 series shot, hep B is a 3 series