Health center heads off hepatitis

By Megan Huges
The Metropolitan

The Student Health Center is now offering low-cost hepatitis B vaccinations to students, faculty and staff.

The vaccinations consist of a series of three shots at $35 each and are given over the course of one year. The intervals between shots can be adjusted to accommodate those who plan to leave the country in less than a year.

ãWe just want to make people aware that the vaccinations are available since the virus most commonly affects the college-age population,ä said Pat Connor, a physicianâs assistant at the center.

Hepatitis B attacks the liver, causing inflammation and deterioration. If left untreated, it can lead to cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer.

The disease is transmitted by infected blood, often through blood transfusions, sexual contact, and hypodermic and tattooing needles.

Intravenous drug users and people with multiple sex partners run a greater risk of contracting the virus. Health care professionals also suggest that people planning to travel abroad for a period of six months or more be vaccinated against hepatitis.

The symptoms of hepatitis B resemble that of the flu. Some patients experience headaches, fever and chills along with fatigue, abdominal pains and jaundice, a yellowing of the skin and the eyes. Many patients, however, experience no symptoms at all.

Failure to promptly diagnose hepatitis increases the risk of permanent liver damage, which can lead to death about five to 20 percent of the time, according to The Bantam Medical Dictionary.

Questions about the vaccinations or any other health issues may be directed to the Student Health Center, located on the south side of the Plaza Building, or by calling 556-8188.