Question about hepatitis B vaccine

Nurses General Nursing

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Hello all, I am starting nursing school in the fall and I am having to have some vaccines, one of them being the hepatitis B.

I had ONE hepatitis shot about 7 years ago but never finished the series. Will that one still count or will I be starting all over?

THANKS! :uhoh3:

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Hi there. I'm a nursing student, too. So, I had to deal with the same litany of vaccinations, including a start and restart of the Hep B series.

In your case, I bet you'll need to start the series over since your original vaccination was done 7 years ago. Your immune system may not "remember" the virus. They just want to make sure you're immune system is familiar with and protective against the Hep B virus before you get into the health care setting. You could get lab work (a blood titer) done to check for levels of antibodies circulating against Hep B from your previous vaccine, but I would say that would be unlikely considering the time frame. Plus, the lab titer is several hundred dollars (unless you have insurance) and would be more expensive than just getting the series done again.

The Hep B vaccination is a three step process. The first shot is followed by the second shot in one month...and then a third shot 6 months from the second.

I had to start mine over because I didn't want to have a titer done and my second shot got delayed by several months. I wanted to be safe (not sorry!) considering the amount of blood and body fluids we are exposed to as nurses.

You might ask your school if their school nurse provides the vaccinations in-house. Ours does, and it is significantly cheaper than going to my physician. ($50 per shot)

Hope that helps! :o)

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Specializes in Emergency, Pre-Op, PACU, OR.

Actually, I too had started my series app. 8 years ago and did not have to restart the series when I continued it app. 1 1/2 years ago. I received the 2 out of 3 shot and then 6 months later the 3/3 shot. No titer was done btw.

Talk to the healthcare provider who is giving you the immunizations and see what he/she thinks.

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Specializes in Rural, Midwifery, CCU, Ortho, Telemedicin.
Actually, I too had started my series app. 8 years ago and did not have to restart the series when I continued it app. 1 1/2 years ago. No titer was done btw.QUOTE]

Probably a bad decision. We now have Hepatitis D which can infect a person with Hepatitis B. To take a chance with inadequate vaccination is chancy. You really need to retake the entire series. I work as a coordinator with a Hepatitis program and I can't tell you the number of persons who had partial and even full vaccination series that do not show immunity evidence on testing. In almost all cases Hepatitis B is forever if not treated and a recheck of your status is cheap compared to treatment. Usually you can get your testing and vaccines through your school or a local county health clinic and it is either free or at reduced cost. Its a good idea to recheck you immunity status about every 10 years once or twice al least.:twocents:

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Specializes in ICU.
I work as a coordinator with a Hepatitis program and I can't tell you the number of persons who had partial and even full vaccination series that do not show immunity evidence on testing.

AGREED! I went through the 3 shot HepB series years & years before I had a titer drawn, which showed that I had not developed antibodies. A second series of 3 shots worked.

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

Ask your doctor or NP to check with the CDC. I took the series when it first came out I cant even remember how long ago. I've been told repeatedly that is all I would ever need even if no titer shows. Hopefully I got the correct information.

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hello everyone, thank you for your input.

i went to the health department this morning to get my shots. the fact sheet they gave me on hepatitis b vaccine says that if you have ever had one of the shots, there is no need to start over. i also asked the nurse about it and she said that it should still be good and she mentioned the fact that some people never show immunity regardless of how many shots they get.

so... i guess the final decision will be up to the nursing school. i may go ahead and do the whole series again, but if i can save some money, that would be nice too!

thanks! :coollook:

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BTW, I am currently coveting the health department nurse's job... :D

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