Why The Need To Prove Immunity To MMR?

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Specializes in Too many to list.

At the risk of having more bites taken out of my butt for asking this question,

why the need to prove immunity to MMR?

I don't know which forum to place this in, but I know it will be moved to the appropriate spot if need be.

I used to work in Maternal/Child, years ago and I can understand the rationale there for proving immunity to measles, mumps, and rubella. But, a few years ago the state I was living in required proof of immunity or the vaccination IF you were born after a certain year (can't remember the cut off date, but it didn't effect me since I'm old). Then, I moved to another state, and it did effect me. I chose to pay for the titer, and prove immunity, which I did. I've been working in LTC since these changes have occurred. If it wasn't an issue in the past, why now? You know how much I dislike having to get injected (though I will submit almost willingly if I have to). And, I do respond much more readily to neutral, impersonal, or even nice replies.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

In my opinion, it is primarily about your school or employer trying to protect themselves legally. As an RN, you are providing front line to care to patients of all ages, and are exposed to all kinds of infectious disease. As a woman with childbearing potential, you pose a huge liability to your employer if you contract MMR immediately prior to or during a pregnancy and deliver an affected infant. By checking titres, they can affirm your immunity to these diseases and rest assured that you will not slap them with a lawsuit in the future. They are probably far more interested in protecting their pocket books than your (and your potential childrens') health.

A secondary issue is to prevent you from passing on infection to your patients, who may be unimmunized, or immune compromised.

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.

Given that there is a serious outbreak of mumps going on right now, the facilities want to protect you and the patients. As far as know, the disease can be spread prior to obvious symptoms appear.

While the vast majority of the population has been immunized against these, there are groups of people that are anti-vaccination, or who due to cultural/religious do not get vaccinated. They pose a danger to us and other patients, if they contract the disease. It is better to be protected.

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They can get you to TRY to provide proof of immunity... but I have been immunized at least 7 times since I was a kid, I've had the measles... and I'M STILL NON IMMUNE!!!!!

I started refusing the immunizations when I was last working.

I do understand the rationilazation, but it's obviously not going to work for me. :uhoh3:

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Specializes in Too many to list.

Thanks for your responses. I agree that it probably has more to with protecting the employer from liability if I were of childbearing age. As noted above, one state only was concerned if I was born after a certain year (meaning, I guess, probably not going to be having any children). The other just made a blanket provision, you must do this as the cost of being able to practice here. Of course, it's up to each employer to police this for the state, and to interprete what the law really means (so each may actually interprete it differently).

I guess what doesn't make sense is that if the concern was really for my true risk of injury on the job, they would be insisting that I take hepatitus B vaccine, wouldn't they? So Jolie, I think you are right. It's about liability for them, if I got pregnant. And, I suppose one of my nursing home patients could catch MMR from a co-worker, who was not immune and caught it from her kids (?) But, do they demand the same standards from facility administrators, housekeeping, social workers, etc? It just seems kind of arbitrary to me (and I mean no disrespect to any answers provided). Even visitors can bring infection in to facilities.

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Speaking of.... I need to get my shots updated, and hep series started as well as blood drawn for titers.

My school recommended having the state labs run the titers as they are very inexpensive and I have no insurance. Only problem is that they can't draw the blood there!

So, to get it all done relatively inexpensively they referred me to the local STD CLINIC who will draw the blood and send it to the state!!!!

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Specializes in NICU.

They don't require Hep? Wow. My school (entered 2005) required titers (not just proof of vax) for MMR, Hep B, Varicella, and either an immunization or waiver for Meningitis.

ETA: oh, and a PPD done by the school, but everyone requires that.

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My school requires Hep series to have been started before the beginning of the class. That is one reason they sent me to the STD clinic- they have it there cheap for IV drug users and others at elevated risk of infection.

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Specializes in Palliative Care, NICU/NNP.
Thanks for your responses. I agree that it probably has more to with protecting the employer from liability if I were of childbearing age. As noted above, one state only was concerned if I was born after a certain year (meaning, I guess, probably not going to be having any children). s.

They ask the year, I believe, since some of the immunizations weren't available before a certain year. People that haven't had chickenpox can't take care of certain patients. Any more I wouldn't take care of anyone without having the Hep B series as well as Hep A, especially if you travel out of the country.

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They ask the year, I believe, since some of the immunizations weren't available before a certain year. People that haven't had chickenpox can't take care of certain patients. Any more I wouldn't take care of anyone without having the Hep B series as well as Hep A, especially if you travel out of the country.

They also ask the year because there was a time when the shots were given too early. Testing showed better results with a later vaccination ( I believe the difference was three months). People who were immunized before that change was made might need to be re-immunized.

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Specializes in Global Health Informatics, MNCH.

I got whooping cough in college even though I received the vaccine as a child. I wish I had titers done before...worse couple of weeks ever.

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