Cancer Vaccine (What I Learned at the Health Department Today)
Today, I learned that there is a vaccine for cancer. I had never heard that before, so you can imagine my surprise.
Today, I learned that Hepatitis B is the leading cause of liver cancer. I did not know that.
The Hep B vaccination series prevents Hep B from developing in a person's body. By preventing Hep B from developing, the vaccine also prevents liver cancer from developing (in most cases).
Wow! That was a surprising bit of information. I told the nurse, "I need to tell everyone to get the Hep B vaccine."
They had a photo of a man who has liver cancer. The man looked horribly uncomfortable. His abdomen was swollen as large as two full-term pregnancies (all in one belly) and it was filled with large dark veins just beneath the surface. I don't know what stage his cancer was, but the cancer information says that liver cancer is almost always fatal.
It also says that Hepatitis B is the cause of liver cancer in 80% of the cases. So, the Hep B vaccine won't prevent it for everyone, but if the numbers are right, it could have prevented 8 of every 10 of the cases that are already active.
That's reason enough for me to get the vaccine. But, I didn't know that until I was already there for the vaccine.
I'm getting the vaccine a little late in the game. It's been about a year since I did my EMT-Basic ambulance rides and about eight months since I began my hospital clinicals for the EMT-P program.
Two years ago, I began work at a group home working with adults who have developmental disabilities. I was offered the vaccinations then. But, I was afraid of it.
I thought there might be some way I could get hepatitis from the vaccine. I knew that was probably irrational (and untrue), and it was, but that prevented me from getting the vaccinations two years ago. Now, I'm finally doing it.
Fortunately, I've not had any needle sticks. So, even though I drew blood from an addict once ("Try this vein. It's usually pretty good. The others don't work anymore."), I don't have the disease. So, it's not too late.
Here's what the Hepatitis B Foundation has to say about Hepatitis B and liver cancer. It's enough to convince me that we all need the vaccine, not just those of us who work in healthcare.
In other words, if you do not have hepatitis B, your risk for liver cancer is low. Since hepatitis B is a vaccine preventable disease, the hepatitis B vaccine was dubbed the first "anti-cancer vaccine" by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
ps- I found the photo of the swollen belly. Maybe it isn't as big as TWO full-term pregnancies, but it's pretty big. And, it looks like it would hurt terribly. Look at the photo, and start your Hep B series tomorrow!The Hepatitis B series involves three shots in the arm over a period of six months. I'm doing mine at the Tulsa County Health Department's immunization clinic at 15th and Yale, next to the Driller's stadium and the Tulsa County fair grounds.
My employer is paying for the series of shots. (THANK YOU!) If they were not, it would cost $50 per shot. I am paying an extra $5 each time in order to get a combined Hep A + Hep B vaccine. It costs less if you combine the shots.
I added the Hep A series in with the Hep B series, because it's more affordable that way. I added the Hep A vaccine at all, so it can help me avoid being one of the ones who has to go to the hospital after an outbreak of Hepatitis A at a local restaurant when an infected worker hasn't washed his or her hands well enough after a trip to the bathroom.
Oh, one more creepy medical fact, as if all of this (including that photo) is not enough to convince you that you need to get the Hepatitis B vaccination series. Hep B lives in body fluids. It can be transmitted sexually, and it should be feared as much as HIV/AIDS, because it can kill you.
Here's the creepy part. The Hep B virus can live outside the body. The nurse at the health department told me it can live outside the body for up to thirty days. This means, you can get Hep B from something as simple as using someone else's razor or toothbrush or tweezers (assuming there was blood on it from an infected person and it was not properly sterilized first).
Most people who have Hep B do not know they have it until many years later. Many have no idea how they acquired it. These people pass it along to others without either being aware.
Protect yourself. Make safe choices. And, get the Hep B series of vaccinations.
posted by jordanrep.com/10522 @ 6:01 PM
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