Should I get Varicella titer, MMR titer, Flu shot, Tdap shot in one day??

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Hi everyone, my nursing program requires me to get the Varicella titer, MMR titer, Flu shot, and Tdap shot before the program begins, and I schedule an appointment with a clinic to have all four shots given to me on one day.

Do you think it is wise to have them all given to me in one day?

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Titers are not shots- they're measurements of antibodies already present in your blood. So if you had Varicella and MMR immunizations when you were a child, they'll draw blood to see if the required amounts of antibodies are still present. The test results aren't available immediately, so you'll only get the Flu and Tdap shot that day.

If the titer results come back showing sufficient levels of antibodies, then you're done with shots. If your antibody levels are too low, then you'll have to go back a 2nd time for a Varicella and MMR booster.

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Hi everyone, my nursing program requires me to get the Varicella titer, MMR titer, Flu shot, and Tdap shot before the program begins, and I schedule an appointment with a clinic to have all four shots given to me on one day.

Do you think it is wise to have them all given to me in one day?

As the previous poster mentioned, it's two blood tests and two shots. I see no reason to not do them at the same time.

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I remember when I took my titers and shots for nursing related courses. It was just one shot and 8 titers, but I didn't realize that each titer would require one vial, so quite a bit of blood was taken from me that day.

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I hate the word required....they're not. You always have a choice. Ok, just wanted to clear that up, lol. Oh...titers...that's just a blood test to check your immunity. I don't give my kids all the vaccines but when I do, I don't give any more then 1 at a time. That's because babies/kids are still developing etc etc. However even though you're an adult, I would only do 1 at a time...that way if you have a reaction, you'll know which caused it.

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I hate the word required....they're not. You always have a choice. Ok, just wanted to clear that up, lol. Oh...titers...that's just a blood test to check your immunity. I don't give my kids all the vaccines but when I do, I don't give any more then 1 at a time. That's because babies/kids are still developing etc etc. However even though you're an adult, I would only do 1 at a time...that way if you have a reaction, you'll know which caused it.

As has been mentioned ad nauseum on this board, school's can't require them but clinical sites can. Since it's impossible to pass nursing school without clinicals, proof of vaccination very well may be required for a program.

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I got 4 shots in one day for school, my arms hurt. The titers are nothing though, they just draw blood for those.

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Like others have said, titers are actually blood draws and not shots. Two shots in one day shouldn't hurt you at all. I got the TDAP and the Meningococcal vaccine within minutes of each other, and in the same arm, and nothing happened to me. I see no reason why you shouldn't be perfectly fine getting the titers drawn, and then getting the two shots. Your arm may be a little sore in the next one to three days, but other than that I can see no untoward effects the vaccines would have.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
I hate the word required....they're not. You always have a choice. Ok, just wanted to clear that up, lol. Oh...titers...that's just a blood test to check your immunity. I don't give my kids all the vaccines but when I do, I don't give any more then 1 at a time. That's because babies/kids are still developing etc etc. However even though you're an adult, I would only do 1 at a time...that way if you have a reaction, you'll know which caused it.

True, you can choose not to get them and the school or clinical site can choose to dismiss you from the program for not meeting the criteria of having them. This semester we were required to get the Flu shot as well. It was a hospital requirement, therefore it became a school requirement. You didn't have to get it, but than the school would drop you. There were a few exceptions that would allow you to not have to have the shot.

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Do the titres first, then shots all in one day is fine. I got my flue, varicella, and hepB shot all in one day...all good.

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I did my Tdap and my flu shot about 3 weeks apart. I think I made a good choice because my arm was very sore for 2 weeks after the Tdap and about 5-6 days after the flu shot, cant imagine doing both at the same time.

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I see newly postpartum women in a breastfeeding support group who have gotten the Dtap in the hospital and many of them have reactions, huge welts. Personally, I've done more than one shot at a time - but I do them in opposite arms, so you know which is which. Oh, and I had the Dtap recently as well and had no reaction, so some will react, but most will not.

That said, I would have the titers drawn and the two shots in one day. You may or may not have to return for the MMR or Varicella.

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