Hep B vaccine (doctor, reactions, medical, hospital)

[Dinks]

Hi. We have the opportunity to move the US next year and one of the things that we've been looking into is vaccinations. Our kids are up to date with what they have to have here in the UK (which is essentially the same) but in the US children are vaccinated against hep b and I was wondering what reactions your children had, if any, to the jabs.

Appreciate your feedback

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

I am not sure about Hep B for kids, maybe you mean the one for a respiratory bug HiB? At any rate, I have had the series of Hep B vaccinations and it is a series of 3. After the last one you get tested and might need a 4th. I had absolutely no reaction whatsoever from the series as an adult.

I question whether you have the right name as the Hep B series is normally given to people who might come in contact with bodily fluids, like hospital workers.

Edited to add I just looked at the CDC web site and Hep B is not recommended but HiB is.

[Dinks]

Really? I looked at the recommended vaccinations for children and Hep B is listed on there. I'll check again. One of the reasons I ask is because hep b is only given in the UK to adults or kids who are at high risk but when I checked the vaccination schedule for kids and did a bit of reading it said all children in the US are now vaccinated against hep b. My kids have had the HiB vaccinations.

[purehuman]

Dinks....unless your children are into having unprotected sex, or sharing their needles with other druggies....why bother...there's no need, and the vaccine CAN have dire consequences....why they insist newborns need this vaccine is something I can't figure out....except that maybe with the addition of each added vaccine there's more money to be made.Adverse Reactions to Hepatitis B Vaccination | eHow.com.............http://www.thenhf.com/article.php?id=1708

[Dinks]

My understanding is that there isnt really a choice. From what Ive read, for them to attend school they must be vaccinated for everything and you cannot pick and choose which ones.

Appreciate the comments

[Kim in FL]

If your child is going to be in daycare, then yes, get the vaccine. If not, then no. None of my 5 got the Hep B vaccine until they got jobs in the medical field. They didn't attend daycare or school so my doctor said they didn't need it.

You don't have to get all the vaccines if you don't want to. You just have to sign a paper saying you're not getting them. No big deal.

[christina0001]

I got the Hep B vaccine in college. Did not have any problems with it.

Some states will easily let you opt out of school vaccines and some will not.

[AnotherTouchOfWhimsy]

They routinely give the Hep B vax to newborns. My kids had it and had no reaction, but if I had been better educated on it, I probably would have skipped it at the time and chosen to give it to them when they were young teens.

As far as going to school with or without vaccines, it totally depends on the state. Some states allow a philosophical exemption, where you can opt out of one or more vaccines as you wish. Others allow a religious exemption, but if you claim it (regardless of your religion), you're not supposed to get more vaccines after it's signed. And a couple (West Virginia and... Mississippi, maybe?) don't have any exemptions other than for children who can't receive them for medical reasons.