Hep B titer

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So I had titers drawn for my Hep B in july. Nursing school student health nurse calls today and says my immunity for Hep B isn't high enough. I was told to get the series over again, I had it done in 1995 when I was a kid. She said I have to get titers drawn again after the series is done and if they are still low then I am a converter, which according to her is 5% of the population. What the heck does being a converter mean??? I tried asking her and she did not explain it very well.

I had the titer drawn last year before junior year clinicals and I was fine so I am confused as to how I was immune a year ago and now I'm not?? :(

Thanks

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I had a titer drawn right before NS and it also showed I did not convert. Basically, it just means that your body did not make antibodies to the Hep B virus.

I ended up getting a booster shot, after which my titer showed I had converted. If I remember correctly, I would have also had to do the series over if I hadn't converted. Then, if I still didn't have immunity then I would be considered a nonconverter.

Get a booster then draw another titer before taking the whole series over. For one thing, they are expensive. For another thing, I hate shooting myself up with all that stuff!

Good luck!

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

According to the CDC, Hep B vaccines are 85-95% effective for 9 years. After 9 years, immunity can drop. Also some people do not gain immunity from the vaccine.

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Specializes in Emergency, outpatient.

I approached my doctor for a booster several years ago after a titer came back negative. He refused, and explained that the series I had received gave me all the immunity I needed, even though the titer was negative. So I notified my job of that.

It may have changed in the last few years; you can check with your doctor, and you may be able to get documentation if that is still the case. Good Luck!

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Specializes in Operating Theatre and Occ. Health.

HepB is a bit different from many other vaccines. When it first became available, we would get very anal-retentive about titres and if the subject was under 1,000 would keep on giving boosters until they got there, sometimes even making the client have a whole new basic course. Sometimes we'd even try a different brand of vaccine! Non-converters occurred but were uncommon in my experience (10 years Occupational Health).

Then it was discovered that HepB was different in that antibodies could lie low until there was an exposure when the titres would rise in reponse. From then on, titres were not done on a routine basis anymore. If you had the basic course you were covered - much like tetorifice, etc.

When I finished off my hospital work with a few years as a part time theatre nurse (OR) they didn't even require me to have the 5 yr booster.

Does not, however, obviate the good sense of having a booster within 24hrs at most if one sustains a suspect 'needle stick' incident.

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Specializes in Infection Preventionist/ Occ Health.

I am still learning, having just started in infection control. I can tell you that our practice right now is not to do titers on new employees who have already gotten the series. Many times it will come back negative, but doing the series over again isn't necessary to maintain immunity. A few employees who have sustained needlestick injuries have elected to get the recommended booster injection.

We still do a titer 2 months after the series is completed on those who are newly immunized against Hepatitis B. I was surprised to find out that there are still nurses and other health care workers who haven't been immunized.

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Specializes in Operating Theatre and Occ. Health.

Gosh -really? It's required by law in this country. No up-to-date HebB certificate, no job! Well, certainly not in OR, ER or Obs, anyway.

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Specializes in Telemetry, Case Management.

I had my first Hep B series in the early 90's. When a job I took in 2001 required titers, mine were fine.

After a dirty needle stick in approx. 2004(?), my titers were low to non existent. They made me take a second course of vaccines.

My titers were still low to non existent after that. Shortly afterwards, I was diagnosed with a couple of autoimmune disorders.

I have always wondered if the factors leading to my autoimmune thyroid disease led to the lowering of my titers.:confused:

In any case, it was NOT advised that I take any more shots for Hep B.

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