Boosters for kindergarten?

[maple_mama]

My dd is turning 5 soon, and will be needing her boosters for school. I'd had her vaxed on schedule when she was younger (all except for hep a, which she's not had). I think I read a thread several months ago about which boosters were actually needed (and by 'needed', I mean to get full immunity, not whether we should vax or not). I think I remember a second MMR is not needed in most people, but is given to catch those who didn't develop antibodies after the first vaccination...is this right? Are there any others like this? Do I just ask her pediatrician for a titer test before I take her in? I don't want to turn this into a discussion of whether to get her boosters or not, but I would like to know which ones a second shot is not necessary. Thanks in advance.

[nicolebeth]

I don't think any of them are "needed", except for school entry requirements.

For some areas, only measles is required. So, you can have titres checked for measles. Some areas accept a positive titre in lieu of vaccination. Titres are not painful--just a regular blood draw.

Similarly, chicken pox positive titres can be accepted in lieu of revaccination (in some states), but sometimes states require an exposure prior to accepting the titre (or, even proof of having had the actual disease).

You can get titres for just about anything, including tetanus.

[emma1325]

Originally Posted by maple_mama

My dd is turning 5 soon, and will be needing her boosters for school. I'd had her vaxed on schedule when she was younger (all except for hep a, which she's not had). I think I read a thread several months ago about which boosters were actually needed (and by 'needed', I mean to get full immunity, not whether we should vax or not). I think I remember a second MMR is not needed in most people, but is given to catch those who didn't develop antibodies after the first vaccination...is this right? Are there any others like this? Do I just ask her pediatrician for a titer test before I take her in? I don't want to turn this into a discussion of whether to get her boosters or not, but I would like to know which ones a second shot is not necessary. Thanks in advance.

95% of individuals who get the MMR develop positive titers and do not "need" a booster. You can test your daughter's titers...though it's a bit expensive, can run anywhere between $300-$500 I believe for that one test (if I remember correctly; I had my daughter's titers run early last summer.)

Insurance probably won't cover it, but if you have the money, the test will most likely save her from having to get the booster.

A FREE way to get her out of the booster: you can assume that she's one of the 95 out of 100 kids who is now immune to M, M, and R, and simply file an exemption for your state and get her into school without any boosters required.

[MyTwoCherries]

I'm curious about this also. If they test titers do you know how long the test is accurate? Would a child be immune at the point of the test but then not immune and not pass the following year, or a couple years after the test? I'm wondering if it's something that needs to be done/checked on a regular basis?

Thanks so much for your help, we're just looking into this with my son right now as well.

[emma1325]

Originally Posted by MyTwoCherries

I'm curious about this also. If they test titers do you know how long the test is accurate? Would a child be immune at the point of the test but then not immune and not pass the following year, or a couple years after the test? I'm wondering if it's something that needs to be done/checked on a regular basis?

Thanks so much for your help, we're just looking into this with my son right now as well.

I'm not sure. I've only had my daughter tested once...it was really expensive. Our bill was well over a thousand dollars to test her for several diseases.

I would assume that the antibody levels could change, since vaccine immunity is temporary. (Also, a child can gain natural immunity without vaccines.)

Why are you looking into it for your son? Do you live in MS, WV, or NY? If not, you can file an exemption pretty easily in most any other state.

[maple_mama]

Thanks for your responses. I had no idea that it cost so much for the tests, that's crazy. Does anyone know how easy it is to file an exemption in Ohio? (Not for religious or medical reasons, just personal reasons.)

[nicolebeth]

It is possible that your insurance would cover it. I think part of it is what your doctor can say when ordering the tests. I think, living in a state where titres are "accepted" in lieu of revaccination that could be an acceptable diagnosis for insurance purposes. Also, if your kid was exposed to chicken pox, and you need to find out whether they actually had it, that could be using the titre for purposes of diagnosis as well. I'm not saying that every insurance would be all right with this, but it doesn't hurt to investigate.

I don't know about exemptions in Ohio.