Good/bad advice about vaccinations...?

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Specializes in ICU, Med-Surg, Post-op, Same-Day Surgery.

hi all, i just found out that i have been accepted to a nursing program for the fall of 2007! yay!!! then i read the rest of my acceptance packet...cpr certification, background checks, physicals, and....vaccinations. phew! well, come to find out my mom has put my vaccination records in a safe place, and thus i have no proof that i already have had most of the required vaccinations. the catch is that we have to have all of our records turned in before we can register for classes. now, here's the situation:

i thought that we would need vaccination records finished by the start of classes (august), not the end of march. so, i had planned on getting all the vaccinations and hopefully finding my records by the end of the summer. obviously this is not the case anymore. i got my first hep b shot 3 weeks ago, and am scheduled to get the second shot this friday (even though we can actually sign a waiver for that series!). since i've already started the shot series for hep b, i want to finish it. i called to inquire about the rest of the vaccinations on my list, and if there would be any problem getting them at the same time as the hep b (vs. having to wait a certain length of time between certain vaccinations). they told me that if i needed to get any "live" vaccinations, that they all have to be done at the same time. they also said that if i didn't have proof of the immunization, then i need to get the vaccination. i asked about titers, and aside from the fact that they cost as much as just getting the shot, they told me it could be weeks before i find out the results. this means that it could be after the deadline before i find out the result of the titer, and if it's negative, i'll have to get the vaccination anyway. so, as i understand it, my mom has 3 days to find my records, or i have to get all of the shots on friday. ifi don't, they said i have to wait something like 4 weeks until i can get the other "live" vaccinations. that puts me after the deadline for our records to be turned in.

so, here's my list of questions:

is this right? do i have to get all of them at once?

is it ok to get re-vaccinated for stuff that i was probably vaccinated against as a kid? (i.e. polio, mmr)

should i bother with titers, or because of time constraints just go ahead and get the vaccinations?

in case you are wondering, we need records for the following (so many!):

measles (report of immune titer or vaccination)

tetorifice-diphtheria (completed primary series and booster within 10 years)

mumps

rubella (report of titer or immunization)

polio

completed hep b series (or signed waiver)

ppd skin test or chest x-ray

varicella (titer or vaccine)

oh, and for those of you who are about to suggest contacting my pediatrician and getting the records, i've already tried that angle. he's been retired for years, and i would have to call him at home, find out where the records are, call them, find the records, get copies, and find out what i've already had. ultimately, this would have to be done by friday if i am to get all needed vaccinations at the same time as the hep b shot. i don't even know if i could do this, let alone in the next few weeks!

so, is this normal? do they just throw this stuff on you at the last minute? has anyone else encountered this problem? if so, what did you do? anyway, any advice would be greatly appreciated (if this even makes sense). i guess it all kind of hinges on the fact that they say i have to get all the vaccinations at once.

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Specializes in Going to Peds!.

I suggest you go help your mom look for your vaccination records.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Cardiac, ICU.

Congrats.

It didn't take that long for my titers to come back. I think at your school does shots onsite or at the health center.

Check my PM.

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Specializes in Ortho, Neuro, Detox, Tele.

Check with who your ped was affliated with, if anybody. That care system HAS to have your records on file for X years, if you're lucky they can still find it in their system.

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Specializes in PEDS ~ PP ~ NNB & LII Nursery.

Get a hold of the public health office in the towns you lived when you would have received your vac. they have records or can direct you to who does. Also you can call the schools you attended and they may be able to help you find copies on file there. These offices can also fax you the information so you have it for your school by friday.

I had no records any more because I had lost it myself (along with my baby book my mother instrusted me with...). I did as I had mentioned above, they faxed me a simple form to fill out and I faxed it back along with credit card info when needed. I then asked them to fax me a copy right away and to also send a copy in the mail for me so I would have that for my records as well. (keep in mind too that I had been out of school for almost 20 years and still managed to find my records, so I'll bet you can too!)

Good luck to you. Shots stink. Hope you can get your hands on your records so you know what you do and do not need.

rags

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I just went through the same thing in January. I just sucked it up and got all of the immunizations again. I had to go to the local health department, because my physician does not do immunizations for adults. I got every one of the immunizations you listed, and apparently it's ok, as it's February and I'm still around.;) I was a little freaked out about getting these all over again but it was fine, and wasn't too expensive.

As far as throwing stuff at you at the last minute, that seems to be par for the course in our program. But I'm looking on the bright side, it's really improving my problem-solving skills.

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Specializes in ICU, PACU, Cath Lab.

I had an issue with this too!! Another place to check...depending on how old you are is your HS...they too have to keep records for so long and you have to be immunized to attend...so they may, like I said, depending on your age still have the records!! Otherwise...I got titres drawn, just by chance because of my job...it did not take that long, but I think it was because I got them at the hospital I was working at!! I would just get the shots...what if you get the titres and discover that your MMR didn't take and you have to go get the shot anyways??? Good Luck!! I hope that you can find them in time!!

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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.

I got titers drawn for some and others I just got the vaccine. Titers are not 100% accurate though.

I had chicken pox but a negative titer.

My mom had chicken pox and got a negative titer and then redid it and got a positive.

Now I personally am not somebody who is totally for vaccines so a negative titer doesn't bother me...but for those that do worry about it then it's important to know the titer may not be accurate.

I would get the titers drawn. In the meantime I would be contacting schools I had attended in the past. Every so many years the schools want a physical so if one school doesn't have it the previous school may have something that lists at least a portion of the vaccines you have received.

And a side note...somebody mentioned that you have to be vaccinate to go to school. That actually is not accurate. Each state has some exemption policy that allows students to attend school without vaccinations. So it's possible that somebody will get their record and discover they had only some or none of what was "required". So the school may be a help but it's possible that somebody went to school without the vaccines.

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Specializes in ICU, Med-Surg, Post-op, Same-Day Surgery.

Wow! Thanks for all the fast responses everyone! I really appreciate it!

SAHStudent, so you're saying the titers can be drawn, and still come out negative even if you've had the vaccine. If it's expensive to get a titer, would you reccomend just getting the vaccine instead?

bld24, glad to hear you're still around despite having to get them all at once!! It makes my feel better about it!;)

rags, the public health office is a great idea...I only wish I knew about it months ago when I would have had the time to actually figure this stuff out!!! Since I live so far from my hometown, it's going to take a little digging for me to find out! Darn records...

CRNAsomeday...check your PM.

dansamy-My mom lives in another state 12 hours away, so I can't really go and help her look for my records. I've actually been bugging her for the records since January (she sometimes takes awhile)! Since she hasn't found them yet, I'm not going to depend on it.

I will be calling my high school today, but even if they have the records I will still have to get the titers done for at least several of the diseases, it seems. I am going to price everything at my school, the health department, and an immunization nurse (the person I talked to before). If the titers are about the same price as the shot, I will probably just get the shot because I don't want to end up having to pay for both. I know I had chicken pox, but my mom said she didn't take me to the doctor. As for the rest, time will tell.

I decided to try and go to nursing school in December of 2006, and have been blundering through the process since! A few short months later I have managed (somehow) to get in, and don't really know much more than when I started the process. It's weird entering into training for a profession that I really know very little about, except that I want to do it. I'm very grateful that I found this forum--everyone is so helpful and it is such a stress relief to be able to ask questions and find answers so quickly! Thank you everyone!

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I've had titers drawn twice, and they never took more than a week. I was in major cities both times though. The first time (2005) I had no insurance, and school wanted a physical too. I think the exam was $180, and then when I picked up the lab results I owed another almost $500. Then Katrina came to town, who knows where my records floated off to, and I moved to FL and had to do it all over again for school here. Thankfully, I got married and got on DH's insurance in the interim.

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I got my vaccine records from the High School I attended (I graduated in 1987). My Mom never kept a record of anything ugghh!!!

And i had titers drawn 1/24 and my doc got the results in 2 days, I think. It doesn't take any longer for titer results than it does for any other blood work.

I have a friend that had been vaccinated 3x's for Rubella and STILL comes out negative in the titers. He doc refuses to vaccinate her again..can't blame him..and the school was bustin her chops about it! They finally relented after calling the doc..geesh.

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I just received my letter of requirements a couple of days ago, and I go to the doctor on Wednesday. I'm 40, and I'm pretty sure my doctor who gave me vaccines is dead and in the ground! He seemed old even then! Checked with the HS, and they toss records upon graduation...

I've had two tetorifice shots in my life, and had reactions to both; upset stomach, loss of appetite the first time, and hives, fever, and rash the second time. Needless to say, I haven't had one since. I'm not sure how the Doc and I will address this.

I'm a little scared about how much this is going cost. Hopefully insurance picks up some. Can anyone give me an idea what it cost them at Dr vs. Health Department?

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