titers, nursing school, and vaccine issues.

[KMK_Mama]

I had my titers drawn for nursing school to prove that I am immune to measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox. The doctor signed off on all of them saying I was immune, but the school required PROOF which included the lab slip. I never looked at it, but apparently I wasn't proven to be immune to mumps (even though I have had 2 MMR's and I had the mumps as a child) I am considered "equivocal" and am .09 points away from being considered immune. So, the school won't accept my application until I get it taken care of. First of all, I don't vaccinate my children, I have major issues with the MMR, and in addition to that, I am allergic to eggs, allergic to neomycin, and I don't have a spleen, which are ALL contraindications for the MMR. The school is telling me there is nothing they can do about it, that I can't sign a waiver, etc. So, are they telling me that there are no nurses who have egg allergies and can't have the MMR? That I should just forget nursing school and change career paths?

What should I do?? Forget it, chance it....

I have a call in to my doctor, but they are the ones who told me I can't have the vaccine because of the contraindications. They should call back tonight or tomorrow.

[NCmama]

That is bullcrap. Ask to speak to someone else at the school. You cannot get the vaccines if you are allergic to eggs. I promise there are nurses who are allergic to eggs and can't have certain vaccines. Is it possible for you to get the records stating you had the MMR and mumps as a child? You might be surprised, I have gotten shot records from my drs office 25 years later!
That is just crazy. Some people can get 20 shots and still not have high titers. I have a friend who will not develop immunity to chicken pox and has had the shots and the pox several times.

Wish I had more sound advise for you, but surely they can't expect you to get that shot! But don't give up on nursing school. For whatever reason they like to be brick walls sometimes.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

It seems to me that if you have a proven egg allergy your Dr. could write you a medical exemption for it. I can see them denying a religious exemption but not a medical one.

[amnesiac]

When you say you are allergic to those things do you mean that you have had anaphylactic reactions to them in the past?

The reason I ask is that the CDC would only consider it a contraindication if you'd had a history of an anaphylactic reaction to those things. And they actualy don't consider egg allergy as a true contraindication to MMR. They also don't consider asplenia to be a contraindication. So if the school is basing their decision on what the CDC says then they may not care what your doc says.

You might search the archives though because I know there are some threads there about nursing school vaxes.

ETA - http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=530131
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=981597

[KMK_Mama]

In the paperwork it says I must provide proof of 2 MMR's OR prove immunity through titers. I only have proof of 1 MMR, the one I got 11 years ago right before going to college (the first time) so that is why I got titers drawn. I got an MMR when I was a child but my mom lost my shot record so I don't have proof. I guess I could try calling and seeing if they have my records archived? However, I asked the lady in the nursing dept if they would just take proof of my first MMR if I was able to get it and she is saying, "well, not now that I know you aren't immune to the mumps."

They said they will NOT accept a waiver or a doctor's note.

No, I have not had anaphylactic reactions but I do have a moderate (3+) IgG mediated allergy to eggs, a proven allergy to neomycin, and I still have the issue of having no spleen.

[AlexisT]

Egg allergy is no longer a contraindication for MMR.

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/...qs-mmr-hcp.htm

I'm not addressing the question of MMR in general, just this particular argument may not be useful.

[KMK_Mama]

Originally Posted by amnesiac

When you say you are allergic to those things do you mean that you have had anaphylactic reactions to them in the past?

The reason I ask is that the CDC would only consider it a contraindication if you'd had a history of an anaphylactic reaction to those things. And they actualy don't consider egg allergy as a true contraindication to MMR. They also don't consider asplenia to be a contraindication. So if the school is basing their decision on what the CDC says then they may not care what your doc says.

You might search the archives though because I know there are some threads there about nursing school vaxes.

This is exactly what the nurse at the school is saying, but can she GUARANTEE that I won't have a reaction, get sick, or die from the vaccine?

And yes, I was talking to a girl last night who has had 3 MMR's in the last 6 months and she is still not immune to any of them!

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

After seeing what the mmr did to my egg allergic dd I cant imagine them taking that contraindication away

[nicolebeth]

Originally Posted by KMK_Mama

I had the mumps as a child.

Is there any chance that the school also accepts proof that you had the disease? You'd have to get a letter from your diagnosing physician. I would be concerned that the borderline titre could be a problem then (on the other hand, proof of actual disease + a borderline titre might work better than the titre alone).

All egg-allergic kids we know have had the MMR. They just keep them in the office and watch them for a longer period of time than kids not allergic to eggs. The neomycin allergy sounds like it might be a better shot--if you have an anaphylactic response, that's a listed contraindication.

[KMK_Mama]

Originally Posted by nicolebeth

Is there any chance that the school also accepts proof that you had the disease? You'd have to get a letter from your diagnosing physician. I would be concerned that the borderline titre could be a problem then (on the other hand, proof of actual disease + a borderline titre might work better than the titre alone).

All egg-allergic kids we know have had the MMR. They just keep them in the office and watch them for a longer period of time than kids not allergic to eggs. The neomycin allergy sounds like it might be a better shot--if you have an anaphylactic response, that's a listed contraindication.

I told her that I had had the disease as a child and asked if getting proof of that would be good enough and she also said no to that. She said that having an "equivocal" titer, whether or not I have already had the disease still proves I'm not immune.

My doctor's office called back but all she did was take a message for my doctor and said she would get back to me tomorrow.

What I am thinking of doing is getting proof of my first MMR I had as a child and applying at a different school...I've located the doctor I had and now I need to call and see if they still have my 30 year old records.

[JAZE MOMMIE]

Maybe recheck the titers ???

I do not know if they could vary ??
Just an idea.

I am considering online learning to get my RN so I do not have to get shots !(I am an LPN now )

[KMK_Mama]

Originally Posted by JAZE MOMMIE

Maybe recheck the titers ???

I do not know if they could vary ??
Just an idea.

I am considering online learning to get my RN so I do not have to get shots !(I am an LPN now )

I have heard that titers CAN change from day to day, however I payed about $400 to get them checked the first time so re-doing them isn't an option. I don't know how much just getting the mumps done would cost, but it probably wouldn't change enough to make a difference.

[nicolebeth]

Originally Posted by KMK_Mama

I told her that I had had the disease as a child and asked if getting proof of that would be good enough and she also said no to that. She said that having an "equivocal" titer, whether or not I have already had the disease still proves I'm not immune.

My doctor's office called back but all she did was take a message for my doctor and said she would get back to me tomorrow.

What I am thinking of doing is getting proof of my first MMR I had as a child and applying at a different school...I've located the doctor I had and now I need to call and see if they still have my 30 year old records.

Some schools do take proof of actual disease as well. So, if you are reapplying (which is very unfair that you'd have to do that), you might want to get that record as well, just to have it.

Good luck!

[Plaid Leopard]

I hope you can find a solution.

So, if you had your shot record stating that you had received two MMRs, or proof of having had the mumps, they wouldn't check your titers, there would be no questions asked, and they would assume that you were immune - even though you may not be.

I wonder how many nurses (or people in the general population) are assumed to have immunity to all these diseases but actually don't? And on the flipside - how many people are assumed not to be immune based on vax status, but actually are.

System seems to work really well...

[KMK_Mama]

I called my childhood pediatrician and he does not have my records....at all, not even in storage.

I have had 3 doctors now tell me I should NOT have the vaccine. It's too risky and the risks would outweigh the benefits. The doctor I talked to today said there has to be a way around it and he is willing to write me a waiver, however the school told me there is NO way around it. The doctor suggests I go up the chain of command but I think that would just make them put a big red X on my application and they'd never let me in. <pout>

I have been going to school, chipping away at my prerequisites and corequisites for so long that it just seems so silly that when I am finally ready to apply, this is what is holding me back.

I don't know where to go from here.

[KMK_Mama]

Originally Posted by Plaid Leopard

I hope you can find a solution.

So, if you had your shot record stating that you had received two MMRs, or proof of having had the mumps, they wouldn't check your titers, there would be no questions asked, and they would assume that you were immune - even though you may not be.

I wonder how many nurses (or people in the general population) are assumed to have immunity to all these diseases but actually don't? And on the flipside - how many people are assumed not to be immune based on vax status, but actually are.

System seems to work really well...

Yes, this is true. They said if I had proof of both MMR's I would have been OK...except now that she knows I am NOT immune to the mumps she will not accept proof of my first MMR, had I been able to get a copy of it. I would have to get another one. My plan was to go to a different school if I could get proof of my first MMR because they wouldn't question it.

The system really IS backwards. I know someone who has had 3 MMR's in 6 months (yikes!!) and she is still showing up as NOT immune to measles, mumps, OR Rubella! But she is an LPN, going into nursing school because she has proof of the shots.

[emma1325]

So just out of curiosity OP, after you take the MMR for the third time, would the school require you to be titer tested again?

Because, jeez, some people never show immunity on those things.

If not, then it's just compliance to a medical procedure that they're after; there's no consideration as to whether or not the shot will actually "work" or not. Sick policy.

[Jadzia]

I thought all states at least have medical exemptions?

The person you spoke to might not be aware of exemptions, so I would check your state laws and go from there. If they are a public university they should have to accept it.

[ChristianMomOf2]

Does your school have a student nursing organization? Call the president. They should know the procedure for opting out of vaccines. There is a way! It may be different for each school and it is A LOT of red tape. Be presistent, call the dean if you have to!

[anj_rn]

Here are the guidelines that nursing schools use: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2017.pdf.

Most nursing schools have to enforce these rules to obtain clinical locations for their students. Since you can not pass nursing school without clinicals. You might be stuck. I would try to apply elsewhere and use old records, you doctor moght not have them, but if you went to public school, they might still have a copy of your shot records.