herpevac (vaccine against HSV2) experiences?

[sandi1743.livejournal.com]

So a few months ago I finished up my last blood draw of the Herpevac Clinical Trials and now I have a friend that is thinking about doing it as well. She still is not 100% sure that she can do it – it only works in females that are negative for HSV 1 and 2 – as she does not think that she has HSV1 (or 2) as she does not think that she has ever had an outbreak – but not everyone does and it seems that everyone else in her family has it. I know that my experience with it was pretty good – but I was wondering if anyone else here has done it and would be willing to talk about their experience/thoughts.
Thanks!

Comments

[as-she-melts.livejournal.com]

My only thoughts:

OH MY GOD I WISH I WOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS BEFORE MY HIGH SCHOOL BOYFRIEND CHEATED ON ME.

....

That's awesome that they're testing a vaccine. How many doses are involved? Did you notice any side effects?

[sandi1743.livejournal.com]

i am so sorry! It was three doses - same schedule as Hep B and HPV - it is actually made by GSK so it is thought by some that maybe GSK will be packing HSV + HPV in one vaccine dose - but that remains to be seen. Over all from frist blood draw - seeing if i have HSV - to my final blood draw it was 18 months.
I got either a placebo which was actually Hep A vaccine (which you could not have gotten before - but that may have changed) or the herpevac - right afer my first dose of the vaccine i had allergic reactions to EVERYTHING - latex, wool, chemicals (and i work in a lab/healthcare area so i was having great fun those first few days). It got better from benadryl and claritin but after each dose of the vaccine i thought that i was a bit sensitive to many things, but never as bad as the first dose. I now have a latex allergy that is nasty to say the least - just the like of the draw or did th evaccine actually cause it - not sure...even my doctors are split about that one.
I cannot find out what i got until everyone has finished the vaccine trials but one of my doctors has said that if i want i can get tested for antibodies for Hep A to see if i have any - if i have them then i got the Hep A if I do not - than most likely i got the herpesvac - i have not decided as of yet if i'll do it. My only other issue would be that until i know what i got for sure - if i get tested for HSV i need to only get the western blot done as they can test for the difference between a +ive from an infection and a + from the vaccine as the IgG test will just give a positive.
here is the NEJM paper about it.
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/347/21/1652

i hope i answered all of your questions!

[dearambellina0.livejournal.com]

I'd think she could get the HSV I & II blood tests to confirm she is negative before she gets the vaccine...right?


Side comment: Wow, this is really exciting to read about!

[sandi1743.livejournal.com]

they give info - but it is pretty short and then they take a blood draw - if that comes back negitive for I&II then they will call you to come back into for more info and that is when you get all signed in etc.
If you have either I or II they will call you and let you know and offer councling if you so desire.

[bex-is-roxor.livejournal.com]

i'm thirding the excitement about this vaccine!

i hope they trial it in australia and new zealand soon!

it's kind of a really exciting medical development.

[sandi1743.livejournal.com]

i think that it is in only the US and Canada right now - or at least that is where these trials are. It is thought that the whole process of having women go through the trial should be over by mid '09 at the latest and hopefulyl if everythign works out it will be approved for use by the end of '09 ealry '10. but the issue will be getting parents to vaccinate their daughters with it - hopefulyl with the HPV vaccine having been on the market for a few years by then it will not be such a big deal.