need vaccine titer help!

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

Published

Hi for my nursing program we need our titer levels checked for measles, mumps, rubella, hep B, and chicken pox.

The urgent care I went to for my physical could only do hep B. Other urgent cares around here have a no blood drawing policy.

I moved away from my physician and don't have one now. I asked the NP who gave my physical where I could go and she didn't know - she said make the trip to my old hometown.

I looked on line for titer costs and wow it will cost me around $400! I don't have insurance. I was covered under my mom's but when we moved she got a new job and I'm not anymore. (I know I need to get insurance or there's a penalty but my school used to offer insurance and just informed everyone last month that they aren't offering it anymore)

I asked the school nursing secretary where else I could go for titers and she suggested a hospital. But don't I need a physician's prescription??

Anyway I just thought I'd ask for advice for 1. Where should I go, make the trip back to my old physician or where else? and also 2. Does the $400 sound like the right price? I had looked up only one lab company. I have until Oct to get the titer tests done so I don't know if I could get insurance by then or if it even covers this?

Thank you!

P.S. I think I just got the chicken pox vaccine when I was 16 not too many years ago...but the nursing secretary said it wasn't good enough proof and need titers for everything.

In regards to ACA, if you have not heard back apply directly with the local county office and they can backdate up to three months typically. (I work with Aetna Better Health) Or try the department of health. Additionally, try contacting your old physician and see if they can fax an order to a local lab.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med Surg, PCU, Travel.

its often cheaper to simply retake the vaccines rather than do titers. Visit any public health department with pay stub (or proof of lack thereof since you are student) and it should be cheap to free for adults as they are income based. Alternate is to visit the applying school's health dept also free to cheap.

Note titers are not reliable. For example ESPECIALLY Hep B titers often come back negative. I know cause I tried it prior to applying to nursing school because I already had it as an EMT requirement, but they came back negative anyways, so I ended up paying to get negative titers, then paying again to get the Hep B vaccines all over again. Now I know there is lots of research on false Hep B titers...so good luck with that.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

You don't need a prescription. Or, at least I didn't. I got mine from Patient First in Virginia because my PCP did not have Varicella either. You can go in without an appointment or prescription and get it done. They provide you with the correct paperwork to submit to school.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
its often cheaper to simply retake the vaccines rather than do titers. Visit any public health department with pay stub (or proof of lack thereof since you are student) and it should be cheap to free for adults as they are income based. Alternate is to visit the applying school's health dept also free to cheap.

Note titers are not reliable. For example ESPECIALLY Hep B titers often come back negative. I know cause I tried it prior to applying to nursing school because I already had it as an EMT requirement, but they came back negative anyways, so I ended up paying to get negative titers, then paying again to get the Hep B vaccines all over again. Now I know there is lots of research on false Hep B titers...so good luck with that.

My school didn't accept my vaccine records though they aren't old, and want the titers.

The only one urgent care would do was hep B. Mine came back ok (>150 and >10 is the acceptable amount)

I am hesitant about trusting titers and if my hep B wasn't so high I might even want the vaccine again but it's what my school requires anyway.

I ended up finding out student and no insurance discounts and after one lab said the cost would be almost $600 I got mine for around $100! The chicken pox was the most expensive because it wasn't included in one of the discounts.

My school and county's health department couldn't help me with this.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.
You're kidding??? You mean for the titers? I had asked the health center about it and they said they could give the hep B vaccine but it was more money than urgent care. I ended up getting the titer for it anyway.

Yes, each titer cost about that much. In total I spent about 36.00 on titers. That was for Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Hep B and Varicella titers. I also got my ppd 2 step for $15 each, $30 total. This is the cost for Rutgers Students at Rutgers Health Services. If you are not registered for the summer you have to pay a per visit fee, I think it is $30 per visit or $50 for the whole summer, but I am not sure. I am registered for the summer, so I did not have to pay that. The vaccines would cost more. Good luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Ah. Maybe all public universities offer health care that inexpensive?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.
Ah. Maybe all public universities offer health care that inexpensive?

I don't know. I'm glad you got a discount at least. Do you have to get any immunizations? I had to get hep b and tdap. I never had the hep b shot, I'm 39.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Just reading this after getting my 3rd dose of Hep B and $168 later because of a negative titer.:no:Thanks for this information.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I don't know. I'm glad you got a discount at least. Do you have to get any immunizations? I had to get hep b and tdap. I never had the hep b shot, I'm 39.

Thanks. I think if my titers aren't within the positive values then I'll need to be vaccinated for it. Cross fingers! I don't want the chicken pox vaccine again, god I was SICK! I'd rather be sick from a reaction than the chicken pox though but still.

My grandmother had a very bad reaction from the tdap one. She blistered at the site. For some reason my nursing school isn't checking about that one. Only the hep B, mmr, and varicella zoster (chicken pox).

I got vaccines at age 16 (we all did sophomore year in high school) for hep B and chicken pox I think. Maybe it was a threat in the community, IDK.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Ok I got a call about my results and I am good to go!

Now I'm all set!!!!! But after 2 summer classes, I don't feel like I had a summer vacation and want more time but the 25th is coming!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Acesa labs was about 200. It's 10000% legal (maybe a BIT unethical). Never had any problems with it. They send you to labCorp like any physician would

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment