Help, concerned about new job

U.S.A. Texas

Published

I recently moved hospitals and am starting in the childbirth center this week. I also worked in a childbirth center at the previous hospital I moved from. At my previous hospital I had titers drawn when I started and previously had to have a 2nd hep b series. The hospital I just started working for also drew titers. I am still non-immune and am now deemed a hep b non-converter. However, these titers also showed that I am non-immune from the mmr vaccine. This is one that working with babies that is requires to be immune to, and I agree it should. However, after getting my immunization records today to bring with me to employee health tomorrow ( when I was scheduled to possibly get the mmr vaccine), I noticed I have already had the mmr twice ( after the age of 1 year and more than 28 days apart). I looked on the cdc's website under their advisory committee for immunization practices policies and recommendations for health care professionals and it states "For HCP who have 2 documented doses of MMR vaccine or other acceptable evidence of immunity to measles, serologic testing for immunity is not recommended. In the event that a HCP who has 2 documented doses of MMR vaccine is tested serologically and determined to have negative or equivocal measles titer results, it is not recommended that the person receive an additional dose of MMR vaccine. Such persons should be considered to have presumptive evidence of measles immunity. Documented age-appropriate vaccination supersedes the results of subsequent serologic testing."It also sated further along that with each subsequent mmr vaccine the risks o adverse reactions increase, including Guillain-Barré syndrome. Seems like very steep risks for me ro get it a third time if it is something that is not recommended. Also, they state there have only been limited short-term studies on a third mmr vaccine. I am concerned now that they will not let me work in the childbirth center since I according to CDC should not get another mmr vaccine. I am hoping this is not the case. Has anyone had anything similar happen to them, and did it affect your employment?

The hospital should follow CDC guidelines.

I personally would not do it and bring it up the chain of command there.

Is the job worth getting Guillain–Barré (even if it is a small chance)? Will the employer pay for treatment if you get it?

No on both accounts IMO.

I have never been tested for MMR since I have documented proof of vaccination, never heard of it being done either.

My cousin worked in the NICU for years and toward the end of her career she found she was not immune to several diseases in spite of repeated immunization. Turns out she has a problem with her B cells. She has had to retire early due to other health problems but when she found out about the immunity problem she was so grateful that she had worked in the NICU instead of with patients with infectious disease. She said that one thing that always happened is if anyone had any kind of respiratory illness anywhere in her vicinity she would get it. Is it common for people not to be able to have titers when they have been immunized? She had actually had those childhood illnesses but had no titers.

Specializes in Oncology.

I had to have a booster for MMR when I started nursing school. I had had all the required shots as a child but was showing low antibody levels for Mumps. I got the MMR booster and had no problems.

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