Congenital hypothyroidism. Vaccine required. What to do?

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I was born without thyroid glands and have an autoimmune disorder. I am currently in a nursing program that wants me to get the vaccine. It is required for clinicals at the hospital. I am unsure what side effects I may experience because of my health condition. I will ask the school for an exemption but may drop out of the program if they do not allow me to delay it. Anyone else in a similar predicament? Do I have any other options? Thanks for your time.

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Have you discussed this with your primary care provider?  If not, you should as he or she is really in the best position to guide you on this.

As for options for clinical placement.  If the facility requires specific vaccinations, you likely have little to no recourse.  However, whomever coordinates clinical placement for your program should be able to tell you whether the facility has a process in place to grant a student a vaccine exemption. 

Best wishes.

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1 hour ago, chare said:

Have you discussed this with your primary care provider?  If not, you should as he or she is really in the best position to guide you on this.

As for options for clinical placement.  If the facility requires specific vaccinations, you likely have little to no recourse.  However, whomever coordinates clinical placement for your program should be able to tell you whether the facility has a process in place to grant a student a vaccine exemption. 

Best wishes.

Thank you  very much for the response.   I am waiting on my endocrinologist to respond to my inquiry.    I will schedule an appt with my PCP to discuss.   The requirement is not mandated by my college, but rather with the partner hospitals where clinicals will take place. 

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Pretty sure you have to play by the hospital's rule; exemption or not.

You could ask your clinical coordinators if there is some other type of alternative clinical you might be able to do (office, clinic, etc.) which will satisfy the requirement, but their hands are tied because they must follow the BON's rule for the in-person hours each student must fulfill in order to sit for NCLEX.  Also, they must abide by each hospital's rules as well.

Some hospitals may allow their employees to get by this exemption by taking a Covid test every couple of days or every week, but they are employees.  As a student, you really do not have much pull.

Seems the majority of hospitals and healthcare organizations are making it mandatory for the staff to have the vaccine. If this is the case, then all students will have to have them too.

Good luck to you!

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Specializes in Nurse Anesthesiology.

Get the vaccine... I can assure you any side effects you may get from the vaccine far out way the side effects of covid (ie Death).  We are putting people on ECMO left and right and they are all unvaccinated.  People with hypothyroidism get vaccinated.  There are no contraindications to getting vaccinated just because you have hypothyroidism.  

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Specializes in Customer service.

I have a clinical hypothyroidism. My last TSH was close to 90. Too high. In short, I had an actual COVID-19 infection. I've been immune to COVID-19. The doctor ran the test on my immune system. It looked perfect except my TSH level. I received the vaccines as well. I didn't experience the side effects that people get from the COVID-19 shots.

I've never been sick since then. Knock on the wood. My TSH test recently just showed stabilization.

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Specializes in Customer service.

So, if I were you, talk to your doctor about your thyroidism and vaccines. I'm only sharing my medical dx, yours is congenital and mine is hereditary, so it will probably help you. Less than 3 years ago, I received varicella and other vaccines. 

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Specializes in Med-Surg/Tele/ER/Urgent Care.
18 hours ago, Honyebee said:

I have a clinical hypothyroidism. My last TSH was close to 90. Too high. In short, I had an actual COVID-19 infection. I've been immune to COVID-19. The doctor ran the test on my immune system. It looked perfect except my TSH level. I received the vaccines as well. I didn't experience the side effects that people get from the COVID-19 shots.

I've never been sick since then. Knock on the wood. My TSH test recently just showed stabilization.

Do you have “subclinical hypothyroidism”? Not sure what you mean by “ immune to covid19. Please explain. What tests did your doctor doz? IgA? IgM? Or some others tests?

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Specializes in Customer service.
11 minutes ago, PollywogNP said:

Do you have “subclinical hypothyroidism”? Not sure what you mean by “ immune to covid19. Please explain. What tests did your doctor doz? IgA? IgM? Or some others tests?

My thyroid glands were totally removed. The TSH levels have been up and down.  

It's IgG.

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Without the vaccine you cannot do your clinicals and graduate.  Choose accordingly.

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Specializes in Nursing Student.

A good friend has hypothyroidism and received the vaccine with no problem.  She has thyroid glands but takes levo daily to manage.  I understand your hesitance, and luckily it is probably going to be OK for you to get the vaccine. ?  It definitely seems more risky to go without it.

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