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| Adult Vaccines: Personal Testimonies |
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All Of The Horrors That I Endured Could Have Been Avoided |
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| by Joe Moakley, Member of Congress of the United States, House of Representatives, 9th District, Massachusetts |
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| In the early 1980s, I was diagnosed with hepatitis B. It has never been determined where or how I contracted the virus. It may have been during a Congressional fact finding trip to China at that time. That is one of the very frightening facts about hepatitis B. While risk factors have been identified that are associated with viral transmission, up to 40% of the cases of hepatitis B in adults have no known risk factors associated with them. |
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| By 1995, I was told by my doctors that I had about two months to live. In my case, the hepatitis B virus had led to cirrhosis of the liver and this vital organ had deteriorated beyond function. |
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| I was terribly ill. I had no strength and I had become severely jaundiced. But I was lucky; a liver transplant saved my life. Today I am happy, healthy and so grateful that I have been able to celebrate 25 years in the United States Congress. |
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| Unfortunately, more than one and a quarter million Americans have hepatitis B, and up to 6000 Americans every year die from the complications associated with the hepatitis B virus. All of the horrors that I endured could have been avoided if I had had available to me the very safe and effective vaccine against hepatitis B that now exists. The three shot series over a period of four to six months can protect most people from the agony of this disease. I strongly encourage everyone to check with their provider about immunization against hepatitis B for themselves and for those they love. There is no reason for anyone to suffer from this totally preventable disease. |
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| U.S. Congressman John Joseph Moakley from Massachusetts was gravely ill with hepatitis B virus infection but fortunately received a successful liver transplant. Today, Congressman Moakley is a great advocate of the hepatitis B vaccine. As he says in the following letter, "All of the horrors that I endured could have been avoided if I had had available to me the very safe and effective vaccine against hepatitis B that now exists." |
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| Published 11/12/98 |
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| Disclaimer: The Immunization
Action Coalition (IAC) publishes
personal testimonies for the purpose
of making them available for our
readers' review.
Please note that information in the
testimonies may be outdated and may
not reflect the current immunization
schedule or recommendations. |
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This page was updated on July 17, 2021.
This page was reviewed on July 17, 2021. |
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Immunize.org • 2136 Ford Parkway • Suite 5011 • Saint Paul, Minnesota • 55116 |
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tel 651-647-9009 • fax 651-647-9131 |
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Immunize.org (IAC), a non-profit organization, works to increase immunization rates and prevent disease by creating and distributing educational materials for health professionals and the public that enhance delivery of safe and effective immunization services. IAC also facilitates communication about the safety, efficacy, and use of vaccines within the broad immunization community of patients, parents, healthcare organizations, and government health agencies. |
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