chickenpox immunity

[rnto?]

If someone had chickenpox as a child, is lifetime immunity against varicella zoster guaranteed or do you need to do titers to verify?

[metal_m0nk, BSN, RN]

I had chicken pox when I was 2 and shingles when I was 8. I very recently had a varicella titer done for nursing school entry (can't locate my vaccination records). It was 3.30 IV; > 0.99 IV is considered a positive result, so pretty high.

[caliotter3]

What were those titers required for you? In our facility we are only required Hep B titers.

Titers done for my own benefit and for the health form for Excelsior College. You can't go to their clinical site for testing without your shot stuff up to date. If you are to test during a certain time of year, you also have to have the flu shot documented. In the past, I needed my shot records for the other nursing school I attended, but at that time I had not lost my records.

[ShelbyP]

Had the chicken pox when I was in elementary school. Recently had titers drawn for nursing school (MMR, Varicella, HepB). My Varicella was low and I will likely need the vaccine as a booster even though I had them (all over my body :)) when I was a kid.

Incidentally, I also have proof of having the full MMR vaccine (2 shots) as a child, and that was below the requirement, so I'm getting a new round of that as well. .... maybe it's more difficult for some people to build immunity? Anyone have any thoughts/read any articles on this??

[diane227, LPN, RN]

We have a doctor at work who just got over the chicken pox and she had them as a child. One of the nurses has had them three times. I have a positive titer and I have never had them.

[RedRobin8]

"What were those titers required for you? In our facility we are only required Hep B titers."

We had MMR titers drawn for NS...mine were too low and I had to repeat this childhood vaccination. Okay, yet another stick, just get it over with. I had taken my 12 year old daughter with me, using the opportunity to show her that getting shots are not all of the drama she made them out to be. Instead, a nurse walking by loudly said: "Oh you have to get MMR? Boy, that's the most painful one you can get!" And indeed it was...

My daughter had a slightly smug look suggesting "See, I told you!"

[ziggysgal,RN]

My husband had CP as a child (4yo) and then again as an adult (30yo)... Immunity is not guaranteed by exposure.

Recurrence of Chickenpox. Recurrence of chickenpox is possible, but is very uncommon. One episode of chickenpox usually means life-long immunity against a second attack. (It should be noted that people who have had mild infections may be at greater risk for a breakthrough infection later on.)

Reactivation of the Virus as Shingles (Herpes Zoster). The major long-term complication of varicella is the later reactivation of the herpes zoster virus and the development of shingles, which occurs in about 20% of people who have had chickenpox.

[Marcus B]

thanks for sharing this

[belgarion]

Question: who is paying for all these titers? When I started school my shot records were long gone. I was given the choice between having titers drawn (at my expense of course) or getting all the shots again. The entire set of titers was over $600 of which insurance paid zilch. The shots were covered 100% by my insurance. No brainer.

[CT Pixie, BSN, RN]

For my LPN to RN program my school wanted:

vaccination records or titers for MMR.

vaccination records for tetorifice/diptheria (within 10 yrs)

vaccinaton records AND titer for Hep B

Vaccination record OR titer for varicella (chicken pox)..documented medical record of having the disease would not be accepted, it was either the vaccination or the titer. I had chicekn pox x2 as a child. The first time was a very mild case the 2nd time was a really bad case. I had also had documentation of having shingles. And even then, they still wanted titers drawn or the vaccine done.