- IT'S NOT AS BAD AS IT SEEMS. I was worried about the shot for almost a week, had a nightmare about the shot, couldn't have fun because I was constantly thinking about the shot, and then I go to the doctor's office and prick, that didn't really hurt at all, I'm done. I could not begin to describe the feeling of relief I got when It was over, and it took under two seconds. So now, readers of NCBM, I hereby tell you, if you're going to get a shot soon, it's gonna be all right. And I am a huge wimp around needles.
- Why do I need it? Here's how Hep B is caused: According to http://www.dhpe.org "Hepatitis B infection is caused by the hepatitis B virus. Hepatitis B virus is present in the blood and body fluids of infected persons". Basically, according to this site, if I were to take illegal drugs, have a job that involves contact with human blood, live with somebody who has had Hep B for their entire life, or be in a couple of odd, rare situations that I don't want to discuss on a family blog then I might get Hep B. This shot is required by most schools, including mine. First, I want to tell you two things. One, I'm not a complete and total expert on my school, so in the following sentence I'm just guessing. Two, I can't speak for all schools in this statement. My school does not have a strong culture of drugs, we do not make contact with human blood, and to my knowledge, none of the teachers have Hep B.
By the way, If you want to read the article where I got some Hep B info., it's here: http://www.dhpe.org/infect/hepb.html
Michael -- you have entered into the fascinating world of public health -- my guess is that the state of Maine would not let your school operate unless the school had rules about vaccinations -- why do you need the vaccine when you are not at risk? The state has decided that requiring you to be vaccinated while you are a kid will protect the small number of people that get themselves into tough situations when they get older. Hep B is now almost unheard of because of the vaccine, but it used to cause serious illness for many (most of whom never thought they would be at risk.) Glad to hear the shot did not hurt as much as you thought it would! Auntie Bec
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