hi all, i just found out that i have been accepted to a nursing program for the fall of 2007! yay!!! then i read the rest of my acceptance packet...cpr certification, background checks, physicals, and....vaccinations. phew! well, come to find out my mom has put my vaccination records in a safe place, and thus i have no proof that i already have had most of the required vaccinations. the catch is that we have to have all of our records turned in before we can register for classes. now, here's the situation:
i thought that we would need vaccination records finished by the start of classes (august), not the end of march. so, i had planned on getting all the vaccinations and hopefully finding my records by the end of the summer. obviously this is not the case anymore. i got my first hep b shot 3 weeks ago, and am scheduled to get the second shot this friday (even though we can actually sign a waiver for that series!). since i've already started the shot series for hep b, i want to finish it. i called to inquire about the rest of the vaccinations on my list, and if there would be any problem getting them at the same time as the hep b (vs. having to wait a certain length of time between certain vaccinations). they told me that if i needed to get any "live" vaccinations, that they all have to be done at the same time. they also said that if i didn't have proof of the immunization, then i need to get the vaccination. i asked about titers, and aside from the fact that they cost as much as just getting the shot, they told me it could be weeks before i find out the results. this means that it could be after the deadline before i find out the result of the titer, and if it's negative, i'll have to get the vaccination anyway. so, as i understand it, my mom has 3 days to find my records, or i have to get all of the shots on friday. ifi don't, they said i have to wait something like 4 weeks until i can get the other "live" vaccinations. that puts me after the deadline for our records to be turned in.
so, here's my list of questions:
is this right? do i have to get all of them at once?
is it ok to get re-vaccinated for stuff that i was probably vaccinated against as a kid? (i.e. polio, mmr)
should i bother with titers, or because of time constraints just go ahead and get the vaccinations?
in case you are wondering, we need records for the following (so many!):
measles (report of immune titer or vaccination)
tetorifice-diphtheria (completed primary series and booster within 10 years)
mumps
rubella (report of titer or immunization)
polio
completed hep b series (or signed waiver)
ppd skin test or chest x-ray
varicella (titer or vaccine)
oh, and for those of you who are about to suggest contacting my pediatrician and getting the records, i've already tried that angle. he's been retired for years, and i would have to call him at home, find out where the records are, call them, find the records, get copies, and find out what i've already had. ultimately, this would have to be done by friday if i am to get all needed vaccinations at the same time as the hep b shot. i don't even know if i could do this, let alone in the next few weeks!
so, is this normal? do they just throw this stuff on you at the last minute? has anyone else encountered this problem? if so, what did you do? anyway, any advice would be greatly appreciated (if this even makes sense). i guess it all kind of hinges on the fact that they say i have to get all the vaccinations at once.
