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Can vaccines cause hair loss?
A recent study suggests that hair
loss may occur in a few persons who have received vaccinations. This
side effect, if confirmed by other studies, would be considered very
rare. Other studies to further investigate these findings are underway.
Which vaccines were looked at in the study?
All vaccines with reports of hair loss were investigated. The hepatitis
B vaccine appeared more often than other vaccines to suggest an
association with these rare cases of hair loss.
Of the cases reported, 46 of the 60 persons who reported loss of their
hair had received hepatitis B vaccine. A few patients lost hair again
when they received additional doses of the hepatitis B vaccine (3 doses
are recommended).
Who is at risk for experiencing hair loss after vaccination?
The study found more women than men reporting the hair loss but there
could be other reasons for this such as: 1) Men may not report hair loss
as often as women because they typically wear their hair shorter, and
hair loss may not be as noticeable as it would be in women with longer
hair. In addition, some men expect to lose their hair as they age (e.g.
male pattern baldness). 2) Women and health care workers who reported
hair loss are more in touch with their health care providers about
health concerns. |
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Three Reasons To Host Your Own T
Hair loss
... Continued
Did the hair grow back?
Yes in more than half of the cases that could be evaluated. However, a
few cases had only partial re-growth of hair.
Severe hair loss over more than half of the head or body was reported to
have occurred in 16 of 37 cases that could be evaluated. Of the 16
reports of severe hair loss, eight persons recovered most or all of
their hair, and four reported persistent baldness. Also, of those 37
cases, 18 reported mild to moderate hair loss with most of the hair
still intact. Nine (or half of these) had complete recovery. One did not
have a complete recovery, and the outcomes of eight cases were unknown.
What are other possible causes of hair loss?
Hair loss can be caused by many things including: some medications, high
fevers, hormonal changes, pregnancy, surgical shock, transplant surgery,
poor diet (lacking in essential fatty acid, biotin, zinc, iron
deficiency), anemia, aging, male pattern baldness, thyroid disease
causing decreased thyroid levels (hypothyroidism), severe emotional
stress, and autoimmune disease (disease that affects the body's ability
to recognize its own tissues, causing it to gradually destroy them).
You should contact your health care provider if you suspect you have had
a reaction or side effects from a vaccine. You or your health care
provider should also report this information to the Vaccine Adverse
Effects Reporting System at 1-800-822-7967. |
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