Real Danger? Hepatitis A In Thailand

[junkofdavid2]

Hello!

I've read many times that Hepatitis A is a common food-borne disease in Thailand.

Questions are:

1) Where to get a Hepatitis vaccine at low cost?

2) How much would it cost per dose?

In a hospital near my place, it seemed pretty expensive... about 2,000 THB per dose. Is this really the price?

Another Question: (regarding Hepatitis B instead of "A")

A lot of us have had 3 doses of Hepatitis "B" vaccines when children. Do we need to take some sort of booster again now?

Cheers.

[Prakanong]

Hello!

I've read many times that Hepatitis A is a common food-borne disease in Thailand.

Questions are:

1) Where to get a Hepatitis vaccine at low cost?

2) How much would it cost per dose?

In a hospital near my place, it seemed pretty expensive... about 2,000 THB per dose. Is this really the price?

Another Question: (regarding Hepatitis B instead of "A")

A lot of us have had 3 doses of Hepatitis "B" vaccines when children. Do we need to take some sort of booster again now?

Cheers.

2000THB a dose does seem expensive and its what they charged my ex for Hep B when I sent her along

Anyway Thai Red Cross charge 750THB a jab and you need two. This is actually less than my colleagues (I work in vaccines) quoted me as what you should pay. The vaccine is about 500THB a shot and the rest for injecting you ;-)

You can find them here

http://www.redcross.or.th/english/service/...cal_travel.php4

As for your Hep "B" vaccine we now beielve it is for life - we can not prove this of course as the vaccine has not been around that long but studies going our over 20 years are there and these will carry on until its proved there is no need for booster.

Medical professionals often get a booster every 5 years but that is belt and braces stuff.

[Jamie]

I got my Hep B shot(s) at the county nurse (States). It cost me $45 (approx. 1480 THB) each. Since they didn't offer Hep A to adults, I had to get them at the doctors office. Got one so far, another in 5 months. It cost me $135 (approx. 4,440 THB) each.

[h90]

Hello!

I've read many times that Hepatitis A is a common food-borne disease in Thailand.

Questions are:

1) Where to get a Hepatitis vaccine at low cost?

2) How much would it cost per dose?

In a hospital near my place, it seemed pretty expensive... about 2,000 THB per dose. Is this really the price?

Another Question: (regarding Hepatitis B instead of "A")

A lot of us have had 3 doses of Hepatitis "B" vaccines when children. Do we need to take some sort of booster again now?

Cheers.

2000THB a dose does seem expensive and its what they charged my ex for Hep B when I sent her along

Anyway Thai Red Cross charge 750THB a jab and you need two. This is actually less than my colleagues (I work in vaccines) quoted me as what you should pay. The vaccine is about 500THB a shot and the rest for injecting you ;-)

You can find them here

http://www.redcross.or.th/english/service/...cal_travel.php4

As for your Hep "B" vaccine we now beielve it is for life - we can not prove this of course as the vaccine has not been around that long but studies going our over 20 years are there and these will carry on until its proved there is no need for booster.

Medical professionals often get a booster every 5 years but that is belt and braces stuff.

An add to this might be that on Hep A and B after some time the antibody level must be checked. Specially Hep. B does not work sometimes for unknown reason. As it did not work for me the first time. For the second I didn't check yet.

The same counts for the need of an Hep B body. When you check the antibody level and it is low you need a booster.

Pricewise the checking might be more expensive then the vaccine, so often not done.

[Prakanong]

Hello!

I've read many times that Hepatitis A is a common food-borne disease in Thailand.

Questions are:

1) Where to get a Hepatitis vaccine at low cost?

2) How much would it cost per dose?

In a hospital near my place, it seemed pretty expensive... about 2,000 THB per dose. Is this really the price?

Another Question: (regarding Hepatitis B instead of "A")

A lot of us have had 3 doses of Hepatitis "B" vaccines when children. Do we need to take some sort of booster again now?

Cheers.

2000THB a dose does seem expensive and its what they charged my ex for Hep B when I sent her along

Anyway Thai Red Cross charge 750THB a jab and you need two. This is actually less than my colleagues (I work in vaccines) quoted me as what you should pay. The vaccine is about 500THB a shot and the rest for injecting you ;-)

You can find them here

http://www.redcross.or.th/english/service/...cal_travel.php4

As for your Hep "B" vaccine we now beielve it is for life - we can not prove this of course as the vaccine has not been around that long but studies going our over 20 years are there and these will carry on until its proved there is no need for booster.

Medical professionals often get a booster every 5 years but that is belt and braces stuff.

An add to this might be that on Hep A and B after some time the antibody level must be checked. Specially Hep. B does not work sometimes for unknown reason. As it did not work for me the first time. For the second I didn't check yet.

The same counts for the need of an Hep B body. When you check the antibody level and it is low you need a booster.

Pricewise the checking might be more expensive then the vaccine, so often not done.

As I say i work in clinical trials in vaccine specifically and this seems strange to me but i must say i am not a clinician.

It may well be in many years after vaccination your antibodies may be low but your body has a "remembering" system that will produce the antibodies if the virus attacks.

My antibodies were covered in my Hep A so i must have had it and did not know when i recently had my medical and they tested for Hep A and B as well as HIV etc etc

That is why I started with TYwinrix for first dose but Engerix for second (Hep and will have my 3rd later this year.

My pal and colleague who IS a clinican is away at a congress this week as I would have asked him more about this and having boosters - as i said medical professionals have boosters but its belt and braces as they know they are covered.

Edited March 16, 2007 by Prakanong

[h90]

Hello!

I've read many times that Hepatitis A is a common food-borne disease in Thailand.

Questions are:

1) Where to get a Hepatitis vaccine at low cost?

2) How much would it cost per dose?

In a hospital near my place, it seemed pretty expensive... about 2,000 THB per dose. Is this really the price?

Another Question: (regarding Hepatitis B instead of "A")

A lot of us have had 3 doses of Hepatitis "B" vaccines when children. Do we need to take some sort of booster again now?

Cheers.

2000THB a do\se does seem expensive and its what they charged my ex for Hep B when I sent her along

Anyway Thai Red Cross charge 750THB a jab and you need two. This is actually less than my colleagues (I work in vaccines) quoted me as what you should pay. The vaccine is about 500THB a shot and the rest for injecting you ;-)

You can find them here

http://www.redcross.or.th/english/service/...cal_travel.php4

As for your Hep "B" vaccine we now beielve it is for life - we can not prove this of course as the vaccine has not been around that long but studies going our over 20 years are there and these will carry on until its proved there is no need for booster.

Medical professionals often get a booster every 5 years but that is belt and braces stuff.

An add to this might be that on Hep A and B after some time the antibody level must be checked. Specially Hep. B does not work sometimes for unknown reason. As it did not work for me the first time. For the second I didn't check yet.

The same counts for the need of an Hep B body. When you check the antibody level and it is low you need a booster.

Pricewise the checking might be more expensive then the vaccine, so often not done.

As I say i work in clinical trials in vaccine specifically and this seems strange to me but i must say i am not a clinician.

It may well be in many years after vaccination your antibodies may be low but your body has a "remembering" system that will produce the antibodies if the virus attacks.

My antibodies were covered in my Hep A so i must have had it and did not know when i recently had my medical and they tested for Hep A and B as well as HIV etc etc

That is why I started with TYwinrix for first dose but Engerix for second (Hep and will have my 3rd later this year.

My pal and colleague who IS a clinican is away at a congress this week as I would have asked him more about this and having boosters - as i said medical professionals have boosters but its belt and braces as they know they are covered.

A friend of mine is involved in the vaccination of the Austrian Policemen and he told me some (a waste minority) just don't build antibodies. He is thinking a long time if or if not they might get infected or not if they get in contact.

I had the Twinrix, got antibodies against A but none against B. On the same test I got tested for Meningoenzephalitis (FSME) with a notice to call the university who made the test. They told me that on that I am outside of any test, can't be measured. On the question why she told me that happens if either someone get infected soon after getting the vaccine so the infection is a mega-booster or just without any reason as people are different. most probably I never need any booster again the next 100 years, but I should check again in ten years.

But yes Hep sometimes does not work on the first time....

[Prakanong]

Hello!

I've read many times that Hepatitis A is a common food-borne disease in Thailand.

Questions are:

1) Where to get a Hepatitis vaccine at low cost?

2) How much would it cost per dose?

In a hospital near my place, it seemed pretty expensive... about 2,000 THB per dose. Is this really the price?

Another Question: (regarding Hepatitis B instead of "A")

A lot of us have had 3 doses of Hepatitis "B" vaccines when children. Do we need to take some sort of booster again now?

Cheers.

2000THB a do\se does seem expensive and its what they charged my ex for Hep B when I sent her along

Anyway Thai Red Cross charge 750THB a jab and you need two. This is actually less than my colleagues (I work in vaccines) quoted me as what you should pay. The vaccine is about 500THB a shot and the rest for injecting you ;-)

You can find them here

http://www.redcross.or.th/english/service/...cal_travel.php4

As for your Hep "B" vaccine we now beielve it is for life - we can not prove this of course as the vaccine has not been around that long but studies going our over 20 years are there and these will carry on until its proved there is no need for booster.

Medical professionals often get a booster every 5 years but that is belt and braces stuff.

An add to this might be that on Hep A and B after some time the antibody level must be checked. Specially Hep. B does not work sometimes for unknown reason. As it did not work for me the first time. For the second I didn't check yet.

The same counts for the need of an Hep B body. When you check the antibody level and it is low you need a booster.

Pricewise the checking might be more expensive then the vaccine, so often not done.

As I say i work in clinical trials in vaccine specifically and this seems strange to me but i must say i am not a clinician.

It may well be in many years after vaccination your antibodies may be low but your body has a "remembering" system that will produce the antibodies if the virus attacks.

My antibodies were covered in my Hep A so i must have had it and did not know when i recently had my medical and they tested for Hep A and B as well as HIV etc etc

That is why I started with TYwinrix for first dose but Engerix for second (Hep and will have my 3rd later this year.

My pal and colleague who IS a clinican is away at a congress this week as I would have asked him more about this and having boosters - as i said medical professionals have boosters but its belt and braces as they know they are covered.

A friend of mine is involved in the vaccination of the Austrian Policemen and he told me some (a waste minority) just don't build antibodies. He is thinking a long time if or if not they might get infected or not if they get in contact.

I had the Twinrix, got antibodies against A but none against B. On the same test I got tested for Meningoenzephalitis (FSME) with a notice to call the university who made the test. They told me that on that I am outside of any test, can't be measured. On the question why she told me that happens if either someone get infected soon after getting the vaccine so the infection is a mega-booster or just without any reason as people are different. most probably I never need any booster again the next 100 years, but I should check again in ten years.

But yes Hep sometimes does not work on the first time....

You know its most interesting you should say that - I will need to check but I am sure its Austria but could be Germany where they found a group of people not developing the antibodies for long.

I used to work for the study manger on that but will not meet her until mid-April and if I remember I will ask her about that.

I did not have protection against B though after my first Twinrix jab a couple of weeks earlier. I had the test about 2 weeks later as part of a full medical. Had full protection against A so had Engerix

As an aside do you know what "Rix" is at the suffix of many vaccines? - it's Rixensart just outside Brussels.

[junkofdavid2]

Thanks so much to both of you!

(This isn't necessarily closed yet, so 2 of you or anyone else is still welcome to add).

Anyway, I checked out the Red Cross website and boy their prices are good!

However, it's not clear where exactly I can get the Red Cross shots.

Is it at the same place as HQ at Henry Dumant?

Cheers!

JOD