Hep B Booster

[len1011]

Hey y'all I was wondering who all has gotten the Hep B booster and a titer drawn. How long did you wait to get a titer drawn and did it work (bring you up enough quantitative to be considered immune).

I had the full series done when I was younger and my titer came back negative. I have to show immunity by the end of November so I don't have time to get another series. I went ahead and got the titer and plan to drawn again. I'm praying that it comes back positive so I don't have to reapply to get in the nursing program.. :/

I'm not sure how long to wait before I get my titer done. I've read online 6-8 weeks. A lady at my school said 30 days and Drs Care said 3 months.. I want to make sure I go at the correct time to boost up my chances of the booster working!

Thanks!!!

[203bravo, MSN, APRN]

There is a certain portion of the population that never converts and thus never show antibodies --- surely there are other options in your program than a requiring a positive titer

[CareQueen, BSN, RN]

I had to do the same for my Mumps titer. I received a full MMR series as a toddler but for whatever reason, the Mumps portion came back negative. So, I got a booster and waited until I got to the program to get the titer redone. (a/b 2 1/2 wks time difference), & the second time it was indeed negative.

[missnurse89]

What sparked my interest is I work in public health and have never heard such a thing. We have had a lot of training on immunizations. I would imagine per CDC those doses wouldn't be valid. But it is something I am interested in looking into further so I can better understand that thought. I would imagine that as long as you started the series they would accept your admission into a program. The way I understand vaccine series to work is they have to be separated by specific intervals and may not be counted valid if given too early.

[NuGuyNurse2b]

this is a very odd requirement from OP's program. I had 0 immunity when they did the titer so I had to get the booster shots and I actually didn't even finish the series until after Fundamentals was over and it was beginning of second semester. As long as you get the first booster shot before September is what my program told me, cause the series takes 6 months to complete. Why would they deny you entrance into the program if you haven't completed the series when most acceptance letters are sent out in April, assuming you do the titer right away and find out you're negative, and start the series, you're looking at September being the earliest that you would complete the series, which would still rule you ineligible according to their standard because school has already begun...

[len1011]

I'm starting an ADN program. I've been accepted into the program for Spring 2015 and my requirements are due at the end of November. The first semester we have a clinical in a hospital that requires you to either be immune or be a 'non-converter' (going through a whole series twice and still showing no immunity) to hepb. The director of the nursing program said because of this I will have to forfeit my spot in the program if I cannot prove one or the other by the end of November when requirements are due.

I never thought it would be possible for my HepB vaccine to come back negative, but apparently it is common. I wish I would have known sooner so I would have had time to do a whole series again. Oh well.. still praying for the booster to work!