Why do I need a titer and what's its purpose...?

Nurses General Nursing

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I had a full scale physical conducted on November 1st 2010, complete with MMR, Varicella, Rubella, Mumps, Hepatitis B series, Varicella, and booster immunizations. For the Nursing program, I spoke to a nurse in student health services and in order for them to clear me, they want me to have a MMR and Varicella blood titer conducted to check my blood levels to verify my immunity. With this being said, they are very expensive and I'm unable to afford it. Why do I have to undergo a titer? Are there any alternative methods? Could I just get another immunization for the MMR and varicella?

How much do Titers go for around your region?

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Specializes in Intermediate care.

Titer is done to see if you are immune to something. There really is no way around it. I don't see why you would need a titer if you had verification your immunizations.

The only immunization i have no record for (unknown why) is my Hep. B series. So i just had a titer drawn to prove immunity and it came back that i had immunity. but other than that...i just show my immunization record.

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If you recently had the immunizations for MMR and Varicella, you shouldn't need titers. When someone gets a titer and it doesn't show immunity, what do they do?--they give them the immunization. Every place I know of wants either the positive titer or proof of immunization, not both.

I would appeal this decision with someone higher up the food chain.

If it's still a no go, see if you can get the immunization agains. That might be cheaper than the titers. And it's what they would do if your titers didn't show immunity. You'd just be leaving out an expensive test.

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Specializes in Electrophysiology, Medical-Surgical ICU.

My school requires the titers...and then if something comes back negative or equivocal in my case the make you get a booster shot....wait 4 weeks the go get another titer drawn! OVERKILL...and I gave them my shot record that showed that I had a mmr shot more than once as a kid!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

My nursing school in 2009 and a previous school (non-nursing) in 1995 both required titers for MMR and varicella, although I had proof of the full MMR series as a kid and I also had chickenpox. In 1995, my levels for all of them were adequate. By 2009, I had lost immunity to measles, and I had to get the MMR all over again because, according to the pediatrician I went to for the vaccination, a measles-only vaccine is not even manufactured--it MUST be the combined vaccine.

I'd like to know why the focus on MMR and varicella titers and not the other viruses we routinely vaccinate for. I mean, I've never been told I needed a titer for polio or diphtheria, for example.

ETA: For pre-employment testing, I related having vaccines, proof of immunity in 1995, losing immunity by 2009, then receiving another MMR vaccine. I had all the documentation with me, including the titer reports for 1995 and 2009, plus the updated immunizations document. The employee health nurse requested a measles titer for me!

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Specializes in Ambulatory Care, Case Manager.

Actually, I used to work at a clinic and the vaccines were more expensive than the titers.

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My school requires titers regardless if you have been immunized or not. If you haven't been immunized you have to get the doses on schedule and then re titer about a month later. They won't accept proof of immunizations, they have to have proof of serological immunity. I know its a pain, I'm doing my hep b series now because for some reason I was never immunized as a kid... strange I know.maybe because I was born in the UK?

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My nursing school in 2009 and a previous school (non-nursing) in 1995 both required titers for MMR and varicella, although I had proof of the full MMR series as a kid and I also had chickenpox. In 1995, my levels for all of them were adequate. By 2009, I had lost immunity to measles, and I had to get the MMR all over u because, according to the pediatrician I went to for the vaccination, a measles-only vaccine is not even manufactured--it MUST be the combined vaccine.

I

I'd like to know why the focus on MMR and varicella titers and not the other viruses we routinely vaccinate for. I mean, I've never been told I needed a titer for polio or diphtheria, for example.

ETA: For pre-employment testing, I related having vaccines, proof of immunity in 1995, losing immunity by 2009, then receiving another MMR vaccine. I had all the documentation with me, including the titer reports for 1995 and 2009, plus the updated immunizations document. The employee health nurse requested a measles titer for me!

The testing is done to protect you and the pts. Consider someone who has cancer or has just had an organ transplant, their immune system is not as strong and is suppressed. A tetorifice booster you get every 10 years boosts your original dtap vaccine. Polio is not as serious as the vaccine used to contain live virus, and they stopped giving it to people in the us because people were getting polio from it. They stopped giving it in the 80s but I think they give it again now, but I'm pretty sure the WHO declared it was virtually eradicated.

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Specializes in Acute Rehab, Med/surg Pediactrics.

Hello here is a website if you do not have insurance

https://www.directlabs.com/OrderTests/tabid/55/language/en-US/Default.aspx

The test would be $49

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Specializes in tele, oncology.

MMR and varicella specifically I think b/c if you somehow got them, you would be capable of transmitting before symptoms show and they can have devastating effects on unborn babies.

This is off the top of my head tho so someone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. :)

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Even if you have proof of vaccines, it doesn't mean you are immune. I showed immunity to measles and rubella but not mumps. Had to get an MMR vaccine. Also received 3 doses of Hep B. Had titers drawn when I started at the hospital and showed no immunity. Had to do the series all over again. After the 2nd series I was converted and good to go. It protects us as well as the pt. It is just one of the things required for school. Just an aside. Some colleges are now looking for their atheletes to have proof of not having the sickle cell trait. Even if they don't fall into any of the risk categories, they want the blood work done showing they don't carry it. Talk about overkill!

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My nursing school in 2009 and a previous school (non-nursing) in 1995 both required titers for MMR and varicella, although I had proof of the full MMR series as a kid and I also had chickenpox. In 1995, my levels for all of them were adequate. By 2009, I had lost immunity to measles, and I had to get the MMR all over again because, according to the pediatrician I went to for the vaccination, a measles-only vaccine is not even manufactured--it MUST be the combined vaccine.

I'd like to know why the focus on MMR and varicella titers and not the other viruses we routinely vaccinate for. I mean, I've never been told I needed a titer for polio or diphtheria, for example.

ETA: For pre-employment testing, I related having vaccines, proof of immunity in 1995, losing immunity by 2009, then receiving another MMR vaccine. I had all the documentation with me, including the titer reports for 1995 and 2009, plus the updated immunizations document. The employee health nurse requested a measles titer for me!

I was wondering the same thing...why just varicella and mmr? I guess I could understand if it was for the heps...

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