I am entering a wound care program, and I needed to get a physical eval clearance from my doc. My doc has to take this soooo seriously, he makes me come in for a updated U/A CBC and he "ordered" a Hep B vaccine.
OK, I am not vaccinated :chair:
When this vaccine first came out, it was not made from monoclonal antibodies, so I refused it b/c the live vaccine could have also exposed me to HIV as far as I was concerned.
OK, so they have long since made the vaccine "safe." But after all these years, I figure Why Bother??
Let me ask this, let's say you had major trauma and needed several transfusions. Is that vaccine going to help, you? I figured it was really just to protect against an exposure like a needlestick, which I perceive to be a "lower risk" exposure than several blood transfusions.
That may be a dumb logic, but that is how I rationalized it.
WE are exposed to sooooo many things in this profession, I just, not to get all religious on ya, but I just put in in God's hands. Maybe I am a fool.
So, anyway, I am wondering have you had the vaccine?
I too took the series in mid 90's. Was working acute psych and the facility paid for the vaccine.I remeber feeling some site soreness for a couple days after each inj. We nurses gave it to each other-they were not reguired to have an infection control nurse!
I was vaccinated many moons ago when the hospital started requiring it. I had a friend die last year from Hep B, got from a blood transfusion she'd had 20 years earlier. She was dead within a year of onset of symptoms. She was only 45. Sad. I'd say get it.
Got the series in 1990 for nursing school. Now I work with the MR population and we have several known positive hepatitis carriers. Due to get my titres checked next week at my physical. If needed, I will not hesitate to get a booster. As many have already said, I'd rather a poke in the arm (and I HATE needles!!!) than hepatitis.
I was vaccinated in 96 when I started nursing school ....... titres checked in 97 and 98 , we have to be vaccinated here to work...
I also dont like being dictated to as to what I need to have done to my body, however I do see the reason for it and am thankful that I have been vaccinated, I had a needlestick injury in 99 and was okay thankfully, but pretty scary!
now that whole smallpox vaccine, thats another story in itself - I will NEVER get that one ....
Thanks, Heather--I thought I might catch a flame or @ for the "soapbox" thing...
re:smallpox--I was vaccinated as a child, periodically "boostered" as our family got sent back and forth, mainland to Hawaii, had to get ALL known vaccinations every time, no matter which way we went. Including typhoid fever! (that was the worst one). I got my last smallpox booster ~ 1976, so I would get it again if it were offered ro me. The worst reaction (fever, pain, etc) and complications are w/the FIRST time you get it, after that you don't ususally have a problem. I'm not sure what it is now, but it used to be a live virus, not smallpox, but COWPOX, which is a less virulent disease, but confers cross-immunity.
OK you all have convinced me. But I will do it after school, and sign the waiver for now, b/c it will hold me up seriously waiting for the three inj then the titre's, etc...
I hope it "takes" I had to get reubella like 3 times before I had a marginally acceptable titre.
Thanks to everyone for the common sense and sage advice.
Yes, I am vaccinated for Hep B. Like some other posters stated why take a risk? We take risks often enough being nurses.
I thought that the chances of contracting Hep B through a needlestick was a lot higher than contracting HIV. I bet someone has a link for that.
As far as know most of my co-workers are vaccinated against Hep B. My biggest complaint was my arm got sore, especially after the second injection. Good Luck...
sanakruz, ADN
735 Posts
I too took the series in mid 90's. Was working acute psych and the facility paid for the vaccine.I remeber feeling some site soreness for a couple days after each inj. We nurses gave it to each other-they were not reguired to have an infection control nurse!