I have no immunization records... what do I do?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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So I'm having dejavue... this is what kept me from the nursing program 10 years ago!!! :crying2:

I am 32 years old and I am going back to college and getting my nursing license finally. Right now I'm getting all the prerequisites taken care of but my ultimate problem is that I don't have my immunization records from when I was a child. I know I had all my shots, I just can't prove it! I contacted my mother several years later (when we started speaking again) and brought up my shot records with her. My mother is quite adamant that she gave it to me but I don't have it. After much back and forth I dropped it and let go of my desire.

I'm not so much a pushover now and I want my darn nursing lic :mad:. So the counselor and WNC college told me I'd have to get my shots redone and to contact a health nurse. So I've done that and was told I'm too old for most shots & that they only do 18 years and under. She was quite nice, but unhelpful and referred me to another office. So I called them, talked to a nurse and she didn't even know what I'd be able to get, what I'd need for the nursing program or what they'd even cost me. She was utterly unhelpful and I'm frustrated. I've even contacted my old high school in CA to see if I can get a copy. Of course I graduated in '95 (dark ages as far as they are concerned) and they can't help me.

Can someone please enlighten me and let me know what I'd need as far as shots go now, how much I'd need (ie a series of the same shot over a period of time) & what's required for someone in my position? I live in Northern Nevada (I'd assume that's a factor). What ever information you have is a HUGE HELP! I don't want to give up again and I feel STUCK!

Thank you for your time in reading this and responding. Again, I greatly appreciate it! :redbeathe

Wow... that is a lot to think about. I was thinking, like happy2learn, that it might be cheaper to just get the immunizations redone! But after mamacashew's info... I'm not sure it's the best! I know I've had my boosters, though, but I might have to just take Tara, Cherish, TheCommuter & superV's advice and have titers drawn to see what it says first. Boy, THAT's going to cost me :eek: *sigh* but it's gotta be done!

I don't have a family care practitioner, or insurance... so I was thinking of the most cost effective route. Looks like either way I might be paying (no pun intended). I've had my fair share of health problems in the past so I'm not sure how my body will react to immunizations again. I never had a reaction as a child, but I know that's completely different...

Hmm.... decisions decisions! Thanks for all the :twocents: from everyone. It's impossible to be overly informed! I'd rather be told something twice than not at all! Thanks happy2learn, tarsmith & mamacashew for chiming in as well. I love hearing everyone's point of view!

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basilisk06, since you don't have health insurance I would suggest checking with your county health department to see if they have any programs in place for people without insurance. My state (Michigan) offers free immunizations (even to adults, depending on the immunization) to the uninsured through the health department, although the health dept charges a $15 admin fee. Doesn't hurt to check if your state or county does the same. However, the health department here does not do titers. For titers, I would shop around to find out where you can get them cheapest - they really shouldn't cost more than $25-30. I got one at the university health service for $23.

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mamacashew,

You will need a tetorifice shot every 10 years. Your immunity wears off for tetorifice. If you get more than one in a ten year period, you may have a reaction but this isn't always the case. Typically, you can get titers for measles, rubella, Hep B, and chicken pox.

It's been over 10 years since I've had a tetorifice booster. I'm pretty sure my doctor knows what he's talking about. I don't think I've had a tetorifice booster in over 20 years.

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I was in the same boat. The only shot record I had was 1 MMR done. My pediatrician had not been in business for years. I do not have a physician. I'm 24 and I don't have health insurance.

So I needed 1 more MMR ($70 at the Kroger Little Clinic - the booster was cheaper than having a titer done), Tdap ($59) and Varicella (Chicken Pox.) For me, I am able to waive the Hep B until the actual nursing clinicals start. I had to get all the others before I was able to get into the STNA program (which I have to complete before I can get on the nursing waitlist).

I knew I had Chicken Pox so I had a titer done at Labcorp for $99. Two Varicella shots were going to cost $240 and they are on backorder for 1 month. I had to go to Kroger first and have the Nurse Practitioner write me a request for the titer.

Also, make sure you get the Two Step PPD done BEFORE you get any immunizations. The NP said the immunizations can give false positive.

After all of these were done, I had my physical done.

Contact whomever your doctor worked for at the time. IE Aurora Health care, Humana, something like that. Your medical records dont just vanish into thin air when the doctor leaves the practice so someone has these.

Hope you find them.

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It's been over 10 years since I've had a tetorifice booster. I'm pretty sure my doctor knows what he's talking about. I don't think I've had a tetorifice booster in over 20 years.

Actually what you had was a reaction to the shot. It has nothing to do with you having immunity, period.

You CAN be exempt from having it in the future due to Reaction.

I would have still gotten a titer.

Even if you are over 10 years, get the titer as you may still have the immunity in your system if you don't like shots.

ALSO, if you are holding off on the Hep B, you need to be FINISHED by the time clinicals start. In other words, 6 months PRIOR to the start of clinicals.

I had so many people come in for Hep B to the Dr office I worked at only to be put on hold at the clincial due to not FINISHING prior. And the school papers DID NOT STATE THAT.

You need to check with the SCHOOL about what is required and what you can do about physicals.

Try being in the Navy and getting a titer.. NOT, you get to have them ALL over again plus other new ones. yes I was Vaccinated as a child, but that didn't matter, i didn't have the papers. I did NOT get sick from Vaccines because I already had them in my past BTW.

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Hello, I have not read all the reply posts to the OP; so sorry if this has already been covered. When I went back to school at the age of 31, I had the same problem of lost vaccination records, and I could not find any info at all of what shots I had received as a child. I went to my doctors office with this concern, and my family physician ordered some blood work to be done to see what previous vacc's could be verified. When the tests results came back he noticed I was not immune to some of the things he felt I should have been at my age (since I was born in the USA, and had gone to public schools); so he just gave me the shots he felt I should have, along with any I was required to have prior to beginning nursing classes (One of the shots required 3 doses given approx. 3 mos apart). I hope this helps you. Good luck with everything!:)

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Actually what you had was a reaction to the shot. It has nothing to do with you having immunity, period.

You CAN be exempt from having it in the future due to Reaction.

I would have still gotten a titer.

Even if you are over 10 years, get the titer as you may still have the immunity in your system if you don't like shots.

ALSO, if you are holding off on the Hep B, you need to be FINISHED by the time clinicals start. In other words, 6 months PRIOR to the start of clinicals.

Actually, at my school I only have to have the started my Hep B before clinicals. I will have two of the three done before starting so I'm good. Why do you assume you know more than my doctor? I'm sure he knows the difference between the normal reaction to a tetorifice shot and what I am having! And I had the shot, so I am good to go for 10 years. When it comes to being required to have another, I will get the titer.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I don't have my childhood records either -- and my DAD was my doctor! :-) We just didn't keep them.

Thank goodness for titers. I've moved around the country, attended a couple of schools and had jobs in many different states. I just roll up my sleave and they draw the blood for the titers. Then they give me whatever my labwork says I need. No problem.

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So what I was curious about is, the older you are the most likely your titer results will be too low to show an immunity?

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