Have you had a Hep B titer?

[CT Pixie, BSN, RN]

I had my Hep series done back in 2000. I can't remember if I had titers drawn after the series. But when I started my LPN to RN bridge they required titers drawn. Mine came back with titers high enough to show immunity.

[Katie71275]

I get my 3rd and last shot in Feb and will get a titer afterwards to find out if it's positive or negative this time...We will hope :)

[Sadala, ADN, RN]

I did the FIRST time I had the hep b series (about 8 yrs ago). So then, my doctor died. Before he died, he had an affair with the local "craziest woman in town" and he STORED ALL OF HIS PATIENT RECORDS in her garage. She will not allow any of his former patients access to the charts. I had two charts (because I am such a star patient j/k - because my health issues are a little involved) and he gave me my main chart before he closed his office, but he transferred my other chart to storage (not realizing that I had two).

My immunization records and titers were in that second chart. Not wanting to deal with the entire rigamorole of attempting to force crazy lady to give me my chart (if she could even find it), and finding it expensive to retest for titers, I am just doing the series again. Last time though, I got hep a and b immunizations. This time, I'm just getting B, and I'm only doing it because I need the documentation. Not bothering with the titers again unless for some reason I'm made to do so.

p.s. I still miss my old doctor. He was a little (lot) unstable in his personal life, but he was an EXCELLENT diagnostician. He was old and cantankerous and funny, and he knew what he was talking about.

[Kimynurse]

I failed my titter, retook the 3 and passed the second. Similar to MMR, had to take twice

[mariebailey, MSN, RN]

I failed my titter, retook the 3 and passed the second. Similar to MMR, had to take twice

Re:the repeat MMR series: I may be talking to myself once again here, but I don't understand why employee health/infection control folks don't consider ACIP/CDC recommendations on these matters; it would perhaps be more cost-effective and mean less needlesticks for you all. You were probably immune to MMR. Does anyone else think the lack of uniformity with well-established, researched guidelines is a little asinine?

"ACIP does not routinely recommend more than 2 doses of MMR vaccine. A negative serology after 2 documented doses probably represents a false negative (i.e., antibody titer is too low to detect with commercial tests). If a healthcare setting relies on post-vaccination testing to determine immunity, a negative serology can erroneously indicate that a HCW needs additional doses. Remember, ACIP does not recommend routine serologic testing after MMR vaccination"

http://www.immunize.org/askexperts/experts_mmr.asp

[Kimynurse]

I agree, my sr. Felt I had immunity and didn't need the repeat, but the LPN school i attended said if I didn't redo the MMR , I couldn't go to peds, and would fail me out of the program.

So I did it again, no big deal.

[bubblejet50]

I got my hep b series before kindergarten in 1992. I had a titer drawn in 2011 and was still immune but I have also heard that people who had the series earlier (80's and early 90's) have a higher immunity rate than the newer vaccine. I'm not sure why this is. I never did research it further.

[RunnerRN2015, ASN, RN]

I had the Hep B series last year and my titer came back negative. I started the series again so we'll see what happens this time.

[Racer15, BSN, RN]

During my nursing program we were just required to either show proof of having the hep B vaccine, or sign a waiver. I accepted my first job as an RNA in October and had to get all of my titers done last month. They all came back as immune except for the varicella titer. I had that vaccine 12 years ago, and had both doses, but I guess it wasn't enough. I'm not worrying about that though, I figure if I haven't had chicken pox by 28, with maaaaany exposures, I'm probably not going to get it.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

I do no believe there is such thing as a Hep B booster. No pertussis booster either. You have to get the whole series. I think what happened with OP is the type of titer that was drawn. There is a quantitative test of surface antibodies that is cheaper and is the one most MD's will order. However, it frequently gives false negatives. The QUALITATIVE test is more specific, more expensive and more reliable. Some people do not convert after the second HepB series. They are known as "non-converters" and that information should remain on their health record, but we let them work at our facility.