Re: [ozmidwifery] Hep B vaccine reaction

Fri, 25 Feb 2005 14:45:38 -0800

hi
im a 3rd year medical student and as far as i know the hep B vaccine is now routinely given at birth as a public health measure rather than because babies are actually at risk. youre right that infants and children are at low risk of contracting hep b. the only reason it is given at birth is that it is a convenient time to have contact with all hospital born babies, rather than trust in the parents that they would bring the baby back at a suitable time. i have mixed views of different vaccines, but this one and tetanus really take the cake.  to subject a newly born baby to a traumatic experience purely for convenience sake (when theyre not even at risk of the disease) is a very poor policy in my mind, especially because parents are not told this is why it is being given so they assume it is because their baby is at risk. i think if the hep b vaccine is deemed necessary at all, resources should be put in to educating the parents about it and trusting them ! to make the decision if and when to give it rather than the paternalistic view that if they dont vaccinate everyone at birth, noone would have the initiative to bring the baby back when he or she is older and may become at risk.
emily

lisa chalmers <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Hello everyone.
I'm fairly new to Australia,  (from the Uk) but have been an avid follower of this site for some time now.
And, by way of an introduction..and as a first post I feel compelled to ask about this vaccine....by my nature, I havnt vaccinated my kids...but as far as this particular vaccine is concerned....why is it given routinely??
I ask, because I thought that hep B was passed on by blood and sex..(to be crude)...what infant is genuinely at risk of this??
If a baby has a reaction like this...(hope she is ok!!) does that mean she is contraindicated for future vaccines??
Many thanks,
lisa
Perth
 
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, February 25, 2005 7:48 PM
Subject: [ozmidwifery] Hep B vaccine reaction

Hi All,
Have just had a scary experience when a baby became floppy and stopped breathing three times after the Hep B vaccine. She is ok, but being observed for 24 hours in special care. It just reinforces my belief that giving all babies Hep B prior to discharge from hospital is unnecessary, and where there are no risk factors present, more dangerous than not giving it.
Nicole Carver.

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