Panicking Over Vaccines 3 Weeks until School Starts!!!

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Hey Everyone,

I'm currently having a melt down that I might not be able to start nursing school this fall. I just found out today that we need 3 doses of the Hep B vaccine or a titer that shows immunity before we start clinicals. Based on my records it looks like I only received 1 vaccine for Hep B in 2010. I'm getting a titer done tomorrow. Does anyone know what happens if I'm not immune? Can they give a booster that will give me immunity before school starts? Can this keep me out of nursing school? I am so upset. I could have taken care of this months ago if I was told.

Thanks!

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I would recommend contacting your nursing school for answers. It will depend on the clinical site's requirements.

Your vaccine in 2010 probably provided no immunity. It wouldn't surprise me if you have to start the series again, then have a titer drawn.

Ask the school if you are able to start the program if you start the series right now.

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There is a new vaccine called Heplisav-B that is one dose, a second dose 1 month later then a titer drawn at least 2 weeks later. That would still be more than 3 weeks but if your clinicals don't start immediately and your nursing director approves it, that might be an option. I was in a similar situation, not sure if I would develop antibodies in time but I did.

Yeah it's really too bad that they didn't tell you this! My nursing school director told me very clearly to get going on my Hep B vaccine ASAP. Most people don't know vaccine schedules offhand.

Good luck!

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Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.

Schools have different requirements. In my school, as long as you had started the series, you were fine.

Call the person who does compliance at your school.

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Specializes in Mental Health.

I had the series three times and it never took. Finally got the single dose one and had immunity pretty quickly.

Hep-B is to protect you though I believe and I think you can sign a waiver if you don’t have immunity depending on your state. WI doesn’t req Hep B, but it’s obviously still recommended.

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Specializes in Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.

The schools I’m familiar with would be satisfied as long as you start the sequence. They’d follow up to make you finish it and get tigers after, but they wouldn’t make you delay class.

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Thanks for the replies everyone, I have a voicemail and email out to my director. Still haven't heard back from her. The nurse at my doctors office recommended getting the titer done anyways then starting the sequence. I needed a titer for varcilla anyways. I'm still pretty stressed out, but thank you all for your comments. My clinicals don't start until mid October. So hopefully I'll have time.

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Just an update for anyone interested or had anything to say...

I got my titer back and I was negative for Hep B antibodies. My PCP recommended picking up on the Hep B vaccine where I left off. She wants me to get a vaccine Monday and then come back for the final shot in 6 months.

I won't show immunity before clinicals start. I'm feeling really upset. I really hope the clinical sites are okay with me currently taking the series. I'm guessing my director hasn't gotten back to me because we're still on summer break.

I have worked so hard to get into nursing school. Cross your fingers for me.

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Specializes in Community health.

I wasn’t vaccinated for HepB as a child, so I had to start the series from scratch. At my university, once you had the first shot, with a date planned for the rest of the series, they waived you in for the start of clinical.

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3 minutes ago, CommunityRNBSN said:

I wasn’t vaccinated for HepB as a child, so I had to start the series from scratch. At my university, once you had the first shot, with a date planned for the rest of the series, they waived you in for the start of clinical.

I'm hearing this response a lot. It's encouraging!!!!

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Specializes in Neuro.

Same story at my college, as long as you had proof you started the series you were good.

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