Fibromyalgia linked to hepatitis B vaccine

A recent study focused on the connection between fibromyalgia and the hepatitis B vaccine. Researchers found that some patients who received the vaccine later showed ASIA syndrome symptoms and suffered from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. There is a link that needs to be studied with a larger group of patients.
The ASIA syndrome is defined as autoimmune/autoinflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants. Adjuvants are substances that are commonly found in vaccines to enhance them by affecting antigens. Essentially, adjuvants can motivate the immune system to kick into high gear after a vaccine. They can vary greatly from inorganic substances to combination products. In the study from Israel, researchers found that some patients had adverse reactions to the hepatitis B vaccine that may have been related to the adjuvants.
Both fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome were reported by some patients after receiving the hepatitis B vaccine. Researchers felt the adverse reactions may have been temporary, but more studies are needed in this area to determine the long-term impact. Although other vaccines have been linked to these autoimmune disorders, hepatitis B seems to be the more prominent focus in medical research.
The hepatitis B vaccine is designed to protect people from HBV (hepatitis B virus) which can cause severe liver damage, cancer and death. It is spread by bodily fluids and other means that can result in either an acute or chronic infection. The CDC estimates 43,000 new cases appear in the United States every year with another 800,000 to 1.4 million chronic cases in the United States. An estimated 350 million people are infected with hepatitis B around the world. The researchers who conducted the fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome study do not recommend that people avoid vaccines as a precaution. They carefully worded their study to let patients and medical staff reach their own conclusions.
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