I need help so bad: Health anxiety worsen after being given possible fake vaccine

[Bubbletea]

Please nomorepanic community, I really need some advice and help because this anxiety is making me lose my regular sleep and also appetite. You may think I'm annoying, but I also find my health anxiety annoying as well:

For the past few days, my mind is all curled up and worried about the rabies vaccine that I received last year (which was pre-exposure), because recently I found out that there was an issue regarding the manufacturer of the vaccine I was administered (which was Rabiesvax FD, by a Chinese company called Changchun Chanshun Life Sciences LTD). Apparently, they were producing unsafe vaccines and the rabiesvax FD could be one of them..
The worse part is how the news was reported last August 2018, and I finished my dose last July 2018... and just when I thought I could be living a life without worries.

I really cried terribly out of fear as my health anxiety worsened after finding out
Went to one of my known doctors awhile ago to ask about my concern, and he told me that since it's been almost a year.. the vaccine will gradually decrease it's effectiveness (vaccine will take effect 30-60 days after administered). The problem is, I recently had my booster shots last month (different rabies vaccine brand) as my puppy bit my leg, which could possibly re-activate the rabiesvax FD (or idk I might be wrong, please correct me). Also, he told me that there are no harmful effects of the vaccine, only shorter immunity span. But still I have a feeling he is unsure about it and was just trying to make me worry less

Just wanna vent out and I could really use some serious advice/help from anyone... like can fake vaccines cause serious harmful effects? what should I do if I was given a fake/unsafe vaccine?

[ErinKC]

Please nomorepanic community, I really need some advice and help because this anxiety is making me lose my regular sleep and also appetite. You may think I'm annoying, but I also find my health anxiety annoying as well:

For the past few days, my mind is all curled up and worried about the rabies vaccine that I received last year (which was pre-exposure), because recently I found out that there was an issue regarding the manufacturer of the vaccine I was administered (which was Rabiesvax FD, by a Chinese company called Changchun Chanshun Life Sciences LTD). Apparently, they were producing unsafe vaccines and the rabiesvax FD could be one of them..
The worse part is how the news was reported last August 2018, and I finished my dose last July 2018... and just when I thought I could be living a life without worries.

I really cried terribly out of fear as my health anxiety worsened after finding out
Went to one of my known doctors awhile ago to ask about my concern, and he told me that since it's been almost a year.. the vaccine will gradually decrease it's effectiveness (vaccine will take effect 30-60 days after administered). The problem is, I recently had my booster shots last month (different rabies vaccine brand) as my puppy bit my leg, which could possibly re-activate the rabiesvax FD (or idk I might be wrong, please correct me). Also, he told me that there are no harmful effects of the vaccine, only shorter immunity span. But still I have a feeling he is unsure about it and was just trying to make me worry less

Just wanna vent out and I could really use some serious advice/help from anyone... like can fake vaccines cause serious harmful effects? what should I do if I was given a fake/unsafe vaccine?

Of course anything of this nature is disconcerting, but I just did a little research on the issue. All of the articles about the recall say that is was done because the company "violated manufacturing requirements on data integrity." That's obviously not idea, but there are no reports that there is anything wrong with the vaccine itself, only with the record keeping. Things get recalled all the time because of things like that even when the product is still perfectly safe.

Also, you were administered this vaccine almost a year ago. If the vaccine was dangerous this would have been obvious right away. It never made you sick or caused any unexpected side effects, so your doctor is almost certainly right that if anything it just wasn't as potent. You were not the only person to get this vaccine, so there is a huge sample of people who received it and nothing anywhere in the news about any ill effects. If it was causing any serious harm there would be clear evidence by now as at least some of the people administered the vaccine would have shown these ill effects.

There are such strict standards when it comes to manufacturing any type of medication, so simply being unable to verify compliance is enough to issue a recall. In most cases there is nothing wrong with it. The reports also say that the Chinese company voluntarily recalled "a batch" of the vaccine when it saw that particular batch "did not go through Good Manufacturing Practices verification." Basically - they made that batch of vaccine exactly the same way they make every batch, but this one somehow missed a verification step.

Since it was only one batch, it's highly likely that the particular vaccine you received was not part of this batch if you finished your doses in July and this recall happened in the beginning of September. It was likely the latest batch to be shipped. Yours had probably been shipping long before you received it.

I know this is a huge trigger. But, try to look at it as objectively as possible. The likelihood of anything bad happening as a result of this recall are very, very, very slim.

[Carys]

Great advice above - but can I just say - why would you have a rabies booster after your puppy bit your leg ? I mean surely you know your puppy doesn't have rabies ?

[Bubbletea]

Of course anything of this nature is disconcerting, but I just did a little research on the issue. All of the articles about the recall say that is was done because the company "violated manufacturing requirements on data integrity." That's obviously not idea, but there are no reports that there is anything wrong with the vaccine itself, only with the record keeping. Things get recalled all the time because of things like that even when the product is still perfectly safe.

Also, you were administered this vaccine almost a year ago. If the vaccine was dangerous this would have been obvious right away. It never made you sick or caused any unexpected side effects, so your doctor is almost certainly right that if anything it just wasn't as potent. You were not the only person to get this vaccine, so there is a huge sample of people who received it and nothing anywhere in the news about any ill effects. If it was causing any serious harm there would be clear evidence by now as at least some of the people administered the vaccine would have shown these ill effects.

There are such strict standards when it comes to manufacturing any type of medication, so simply being unable to verify compliance is enough to issue a recall. In most cases there is nothing wrong with it. The reports also say that the Chinese company voluntarily recalled "a batch" of the vaccine when it saw that particular batch "did not go through Good Manufacturing Practices verification." Basically - they made that batch of vaccine exactly the same way they make every batch, but this one somehow missed a verification step.

Since it was only one batch, it's highly likely that the particular vaccine you received was not part of this batch if you finished your doses in July and this recall happened in the beginning of September. It was likely the latest batch to be shipped. Yours had probably been shipping long before you received it.

I know this is a huge trigger. But, try to look at it as objectively as possible. The likelihood of anything bad happening as a result of this recall are very, very, very slim.

however, "Changchun Changsheng was found to have used expired materials, mixed different batches of products, failed to test them properly, and destroyed records to conceal its misconduct"
(which was found last July)...
I'm really worried cuz what if there are no reported cases of side effects because China is trying their best to cover up the media and the voices of the parents

[Fishmanpa]

China is trying their best to cover up the media and the voices of the parents

That's as good as the 'Deep State"conspiracy theories that are permeating US news media lately. I truly believe you're making a volcano out of an anthill.

Positive thoughts

[Bubbletea]

Great advice above - but can I just say - why would you have a rabies booster after your puppy bit your leg ? I mean surely you know your puppy doesn't have rabies ?

my puppy is unvaccinated (3 months) and she likes to roam around outdoors (and our neighborhood has a community of bats during the night). Just to be on the safe side, I got my booster shots.

[Bubbletea]

That's as good as the 'Deep State"conspiracy theories that are permeating US news media lately. I truly believe you're making a volcano out of an anthill.

Positive thoughts

the reason why Im making a big deal out of this is because my country once had a vaccine issue where alot of vaccinated children and some adults were harmed by the vaccine (the dengvaxia one) ...

[ErinKC]

the reason why Im making a big deal out of this is because my country once had a vaccine issue where alot of vaccinated children and some adults were harmed by the vaccine (the dengvaxia one) ...

I don't think you're being unreasonable by finding this concerning. Anyone would. I'm guessing you're in the Philippines by what I read about the vaccine recall? It would be one thing for China to cover it up in their own country, but if people outside of China were having issues they wouldn't be able to.

The thing is - this really sucks, but there's nothing you can do about it now but move on. You'd likely have had any bad reaction or effect right after having the vaccine, not a year later. You're doctor is aware of the issues. So, that's all you can do at this point.

In all likelihood you didn't even get vaccinated from this batch.

[Bubbletea]

I don't think you're being unreasonable by finding this concerning. Anyone would. I'm guessing you're in the Philippines by what I read about the vaccine recall? It would be one thing for China to cover it up in their own country, but if people outside of China were having issues they wouldn't be able to.

The thing is - this really sucks, but there's nothing you can do about it now but move on. You'd likely have had any bad reaction or effect right after having the vaccine, not a year later. You're doctor is aware of the issues. So, that's all you can do at this point.

In all likelihood you didn't even get vaccinated from this batch.

yes Im from the Philippines btw.

I mean.. what do people normally do specificially the ones who received fake/expired vaccines before?
Can a vaccine (especially rabies vaccine) wear out/be gone inside the body as time passes by, or they're inside your body forever?

[Carys]

my puppy is unvaccinated (3 months) and she likes to roam around outdoors (and our neighborhood has a community of bats during the night).

AH I see, I didn't realise you were in an area with rabies with an unvaccinated puppy.