dsmith Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Ds is having a checkup today with a new pediatrician. He has been immunized with all of the standard immunizations, and isn’t due for anything. They are recommending chicken pox due to some break through outbreaks of immunized children, and also optional would be hepatitis A and Gardasil. We will definitely be skipping the Gardasil, but I will probably do the chicken pox. Should I bother with the hepatitis A? We are not in any high risk professions, or involved in any high risk behavior, so I’m thinking of skipping this. Opinions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Do you ever eat out? Go through fast food lanes? This is where the risk is- food handling. Where do you live? In many states, Hep A is endemic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigger Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Is the vex HepA or HepB? I ask because HepA isn't from risky behavior, it's something that, depending upon where you live, determines risk since it's sometimes in water and can be passed on dirty utensils, etc. - transmission is usually the fecal-oral route, so someone with HepA touching a utensil without having washed their hands properly after using the bathroom can spread HepA. In the US, there are only a few regions where the HepA vaccine is recommended - it is also recommended in a number of other countries. HepB, on the other hand, is the risky behavior type of hepatitis that is very low risk unless one is engaging in the risky behavior or sexually active with someone infected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Do you eat out a lot? That's the only department I would be concerned with. Our ped put it on the list for ds11, but I pointed out to him that ds is tube fed, so we skipped it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
higginszoo Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I'd do the Hep A, because like others here have said, the risk comes from pretty ordinary things. Last I checked, the #1 risk was salad bars and the #2 risk was fast food. It's very treatable with gamma globulin injections, but they are really no fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsmith Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 Thanks for the info. I didn’t realize Hep A could be transmitted through food handling! I think we will get this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I would probably get it done I have had it when I lived in Africa and it is not pleasant I wouldn't wish it on anybody. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.