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Hi. My name is Paula. I was a very active person who worked as an R.N. full time and enjoyed many outdoor sports with my husband and two children.

In 1987, I was given the hepatitis B vaccine (recombinant vaccine). Approximately two weeks later, I ran a fever followed in the next days with a rash, then severe joint and muscle pain. The emergency doctor found an enlarged liver with elevated liver enzymes and a positive ANA (anti-nuclear antibody).

Although I tried to continue work many times, I finally became totally disabled. My symptoms have varied over the years but have included memory loss, lesions, rashes, joint and muscle pain, muscle fatigue, right sided numbness and slowing of fine motor skills, nausea, diarrhea, insomnia, night sweats, weight gain, frequent low grade fevers, depression with increased agitation, headaches and visual changes.

I only received one hepatitis B vaccination because I was so ill. However, I was not diagnosed until approximately 1991 when two physicians told me my illness was due to the hepatitis B vaccine. Since then, I have done a lot of investigation. I want to see research done to find out why so many people have adverse reactions to this vaccine so that a safer vaccine can be developed.

Vaccinations are important but so are complete knowledgeable consent forms so that people can make informed decisions for themselves and their children.

Nurse on Total Disability: "24 hours after my first [hepatitis B] shot, I had muscle pain in legs and arms…was told this was "normal." Same thing after 2^nd shot. Six weeks after 2^nd shot I had my first episode of Raynauds [temporary loss of blood flow to fingers resulting in tingling, throbbing, swelling, intense pain] and also began having rashes on arms and neck. At this point it was minor and not constant. I asked if it had anything to do with the vaccine and was told no.

"Six months after the 1^st shot, I received the booster. From then (1995) to today, I have constant daily fevers up to 100.5, tormenting rashes and prickling on arms, hands, neck and legs, muscle degeneration, joint pain with restricted movement, difficulty swallowing and Raynauds has become severe.

"I was perfectly healthy until the hepatitis B vaccinations and still all the doctors tell me it has nothing to do with my illness. I had reactions to two of the drugs they tried to treat me with. I am on total disability because of these symptoms. I am an RN but was taught that the vaccines were perfectly safe."

Mother Describes Ten Year Old Daughter’s Reaction: "We were told [by the health department unless we had the shot our children were not getting into school. In the past, I got the shots for my children. So I went and got the [hepatitis B] shot. First shot, my daughter got slightly sick. We didn’t associate it with the shot. We associated it with possible flu. Her legs hurt. Her back hurt…"

"The second shot, within two days of this shot, my daughter’s symptoms went from mild to severe abdominal pain around the clock. She couldn’t eat. She couldn’t sleep. Her legs hurt. She broke out in a rash. She had eczema over most of her body. Going to the doctor, we were told it was in her head, that she needed a psychiatrist. Then we decided we would find out for ourselves.

"It was the people who gave me [information on the vaccine], the list that I should have gotten first that said what the reactions were, including severe abdominal pain, eczema, rash, hair loss. My doctor didn’t tell me that. I was given a piece of paper that said reactions would be a minimum, maybe a small fever. She had a fever the whole time.

"I never knew any of this existed, and this is $18,000 later, a child who [had to be] out of school for the first three months and was tutored at home. I don’t want other kids to go through this."

Grandmother Reports Death of Grandson: My grandson was born in May 1998. He was a good baby and healthy in every way. When he was 18 days old, he visited his pediatrician and received a vaccine for hepatitis B. Approximately 16 hours later he was dead.

My daughter said [after the shot] that the baby made noises that she had never heard him make before and seemed as if he was not interested in his feedings (breast and bottle). He seemed somewhat listless and would not burp after his last feeding. He was put to bed at 2:00 a.m. and at 4:00 a.m. when she went to check on him he was white and lifeless. She said he had a bloody froth around his mouth.

I first thought of a [vaccine] reaction but put it to the back of my head. Only last week when I had a reaction to this year’s flu shot did I start to think that possibly my grandson died from a reaction to his [hepatitis B ]shot.