Polio Vaccine

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I just found out I was never vaccinated for polio. I've had everything else, but this is a required vaccination for my school. This is a long series and I will not be able to complete it by the time my fall term is supposed to start. I will be calling my school tomorrow to find out how this will affect my ability to matriculate, but in the meantime I wondered if any of you have had a similar situation. Should I be as worried as I feel? Can I breathe easy?

Mine were 1980 and 1983, and they sure got it. And I had to have a booster before traveling to South America a few years ago. Polio is not gone forever yet.

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Specializes in Cardiac/Tele.

I'm finding the inconsistency with which the polio vaccine has been given fascinating, and not in a good way! I never had it as a child (born early 80s); I had to have one as an adult to travel to Africa a couple years ago. My program doesn't require polio to matriculate. Interesting...

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

Some of the kids in the orphanages I volunteered at overseas were polio victims. I cannot imagine being told it was eradicated! I agree, do the titer, then the series if needed. It shouldn't be a problem with starting the program, as it is highly unlikely that you would be exposed in clinicals..... as others have said, if you keep your school updated with the 3 scheduled doses (you'd be done in 4 months anyway).

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So I went to my doctor's office today, got a single shot of the vaccine and was told that was all I'd need. No series. What really surprised me was the MA said that there was a nation-wide shortage of PPD tests and that I could not get my test today because they office didn't have any. Is this valid? Is there really a shortage? If so, how do healthcare workers manage when they're required to have yearly tests?

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We had that problem last year with PPD. A lot of places around here that normally tested were not testing due to shortage. We just called around to every.single.place we could think of (health depts, hospital TB clinics, Walgreens, you name it!)

Good luck!

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Specializes in Emergency.
very interesting.....my children were born 1996 and 1997 and it was a part of both of their vacination schedule.

I'm 20 years older than your kids ;P

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Specializes in ER.

My school didn't bother testing for it or requiring proof of it.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PACU.

Whoops thought it was about pertussis... See reading too many communicable disease threads will do that to a girl lol

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