Immunization status

[kids]

The Hep B immunization thread by NurseLizard got me thinking:

Do you know your immunization status, more importantly, do you have PROOF?

I grew up in the ding-toolies, my Mom was a nurse but immunizations were never high on her list of priorities.

I had measles in 1965, a measles shot in 1969 for kindergarten and again 2 months later because I *might* have been given "bad" vaccine.

I vividly recall getting the "pink stuff on a suger cube" (oral polio) a couple of times at school and some shots.

I got a rubeolla shot in 1974, I remember it vividly because I got that weird 1 in 10,000 joint inflamation thing & was on crutches for 6 months because of my hip.

I got a mumps shot in 1975 because there was an outbreak in my school (and still got the mumps).

From 81-86 I was a Navy wife, we were slated to go overseas at one point. I got a butt load (literaly-and both arms) of vaccines (including MMR & IPV) and got serum sickness from either the Yellow Fever, Cholera or Typhoid (Typhus?) vaccines-they never did tell me which and wound up in the hospital.

I have (had) NO PROOF of any shots: the school Districts didn't keep records of who got what, the County Health Department (who gave the shots) didn't keep records AND I lost my Navy shot record.

I got an MMR & IPV in 1985 for nursing school (I have proof-yeah!).

My employer requires PROOF of 2 measles or a titre.

I got the shot on Monday rather than be off work for a week pending the results of the titre (and since I don't convert the Hep B vaccine did I convert any of the others?). Oh, and I'm allergic to Thiomsol.

My arm hurts (and I itch all over but it is probably in my head). I even feel slightly bad for wrestling down small children to vaccinate on a daily basis.

And I just figured out my tetorifice was due like 5 years ago.

[memphispanda, RN]

I had to have all the required shots again because I had no proof of having them. I am certain I had them, but we had only one little record of any shots left, and it was in German. Thankfully the only things I had to get were MMR and HepB--which I would have needed anyway because they didn't do HepB when I was a child. I had the tetorifice up to date already because of a dog bite.

[Nurse Ratched, RN]

We do a lot of physical exams for students and they are often required to have proof of immunization status. The school has a form on which freshman report their immunization hx, but that's considered a self-report and not reliable to "sign off" on. When asked to provide documentation of their shots, a very few have access to it even through their parents. And the international students are a nightmare - we often have to draw expensive titres to prove their immunity if the student's particular form is requiring proof of immunization.

I have a pretty complete imm record - my mother carried that ratty yellow card in her purse for about 20 years lol. And of course you get stuck out the wazoo when you start nursing school.

[karenG]

Nancy, you can breathe a sigh of relief- if you have had 5 tetorifice's in your life time then you dont need any more boosters. thats it- 5 and covered for life unless you have a tet prone wound and your last tet was more than 10yrs ago. well at least thats the ruling here!!

Karen

[tonicareer]

So what is ding toolies? LOL

[kids]

Originally posted by tonicareer

So what is ding toolies? LOL

It is that heavily forested area you see to the south and west across Puget Sound when you look at WA State on a map.

Karen: Pretty much the same rules here...most kids get 5 tetorifice by the time they start school, after that you need boostered every 10 years, sooner (plus a TiG) for at risk wounds. I've been 15 years since my last booster.

Ratched: I am spending a fair part of my days at work right now "certifing" MMRs on college entrance forms right now for fall admissions.