Vaccines required for a medical program? Anyone btdt?

[tink79]

I'm planning on attending a medical program in the fall but they require several vaccines that I hadn't ever planned on getting.  I have the waivers for my kiddos, but most of the research that I've done says that it is absolutely required for all clinical classes dealing with patients.  I still haven't sat down with the program counselor regarding it and I wanted to be as prepared as possible as far as what is actually required and what is not before doing so.  A couple of questions, if I do end up having to get vax'd, will this have any effect on my kids?  Meaning, will they be more susceptible to catching the actual virus if they are in direct constant contact with me afterward?  I'm also wondering if anyone has been there and has gotten around the vax's somehow.  Does this then exclude anyone with a religious exemption from a career in the medical field?

Thanks! 

[Emmeline II]

From what I have read from students/nurses on this board it may be possible to be exempt for the school, but it is not likely for the clinicals.

I would gather your vax records and consider getting titers (though I make sure the school would accept the results before revealing them). I would also research ways of mitigating the negative effects of the vaccines. Considering the ages of your children (unless you are still nursing) I don't see how they would be affected unless they have a medical condition where it is advised they avoid newly vaxed persons.

[momoftworedheads]

When I was in nursing school, I had my titers checked and that was enough for the school to let me go to Clinical.  Now getting a job, whole other story so I do not work in a hospital at all.

Take care!

[Lazy Gardens]

I'm planning on attending a medical program in the fall but they require several vaccines that I hadn't ever planned on getting.  I have the waivers for my kiddos, but most of the research that I've done says that it is absolutely required for all clinical classes dealing with patients. 

Yes, for three reasons. One is "rescuer safety", to protect staff from getting the disease from patients with vaccine-preventable diseases. If someone comes in with measles, the hospital doesn't have to locate immune individuals to care for that person, and they don't risk having their staff all get sick during an outbreak.

Second, this prevents you from becoming a vector that spreads vaccine-preventable disease from hospitalized patients to vulnerable members of the community (those too young to be vaccinated, the immunocompromised, etc.)

Third is to minimize the chances you can inadvertently spread those diseases to your patients if you are in the early stages and don't know you are sick.  Most airborne diseases are most infectious just before the symptoms start.

A couple of questions, if I do end up having to get vax'd, will this have any effect on my kids?  Meaning, will they be more susceptible to catching the actual virus if they are in direct constant contact with me afterward? 

No. Your immune status does not affect their resistance or lack of it at all.

They will be LESS likely to contract whatever because they will not risk having a parent bringing a vaccine-preventable disease home like a bad office party prize.

 I'm also wondering if anyone has been there and has gotten around the vax's somehow.

The only exemptions allowed in most institutions now are medical, and those staffers are usually told they may be sent home during an outbreak to shut down possible routes of transmission and to protect them from infection. A few hospitals have a strict policy of banning unvaccinated individuals from patient care and public contact areas.

 Does this then exclude anyone with a religious exemption from a career in the medical field?

If you are philosophically unwilling or religiously forbidden to take advantage of the second most basic measure* to prevent the spread of disease between your home and the hospital, between you and your patients, and between the hospital and the community ... you are probably not going to be able to work in a medical field, or you will find your opportunities shrinking as hospitals tighten up infection control measures.

*handwashing is #1

[Marnica]

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Edited by Marnica - 5/5/11 at 12:59pm

[tink79]

Just wanted to update.  With the school that I will be attending, it is not required, only strongly suggested for your own safety.  A waiver can be submitted, even for in hospital clinicals.  However, a vaccine record is needed for application and in my opinion, because of the whole point scale thing when a school is choosing a student, they in theory could deduct points (whether they're recorded or not) for not being vax'd.  Plus, like the PP mentioned, once you're out of the school, it's likely that most employers will require it.  Kind of stinks but it is what it is.

[Amatullah0]

Originally Posted by Lazy Gardens 

Yes, for three reasons. One is "rescuer safety", to protect staff from getting the disease from patients with vaccine-preventable diseases. If someone comes in with measles, the hospital doesn't have to locate immune individuals to care for that person, and they don't risk having their staff all get sick during an outbreak.

Second, this prevents you from becoming a vector that spreads vaccine-preventable disease from hospitalized patients to vulnerable members of the community (those too young to be vaccinated, the immunocompromised, etc.)

This "reason" isn't even valid. If one is not sick with a VPD, there would be no difference between a vax'd or unvaxed person spreading the illness. Vaccinations do not prevent transmission in otherwise healthy individuals. 

Third is to minimize the chances you can inadvertently spread those diseases to your patients if you are in the early stages and don't know you are sick.  Most airborne diseases are most infectious just before the symptoms start.

No. Your immune status does not affect their resistance or lack of it at all.

I assume she's asking about getting live vaxes. If your children are not immune to measles, mumps, chickenpox, or flu, and you get the live virus vax, there is something called shedding that means that the illness will be in your house, and it is possible for your children to get sick from it. (other live vaxes include polio and rotavirus, but the former is not usually given in the US, and the later is not given to adults)

They will be LESS likely to contract whatever because they will not risk having a parent bringing a vaccine-preventable disease home like a bad office party prize.

Not 100% true, re: vaxes and transmission, but true if you do pick up the virus somewhere and get ill with it(which can happen before you show symptoms)

The only exemptions allowed in most institutions now are medical, and those staffers are usually told they may be sent home during an outbreak to shut down possible routes of transmission and to protect them from infection. A few hospitals have a strict policy of banning unvaccinated individuals from patient care and public contact areas.

If you are philosophically unwilling or religiously forbidden to take advantage of the second most basic measure* to prevent the spread of disease between your home and the hospital, between you and your patients, and between the hospital and the community ... you are probably not going to be able to work in a medical field, or you will find your opportunities shrinking as hospitals tighten up infection control measures.

*handwashing is #1

And of course, there are jobs in the medical field that do not necessitate working in a hospital.

Ok, now you get to hear my "story"

I'm kind of in the same bind. My school doesn't require it, but I'm willing to bet that most hospitals around here do. I was completely vaxed as a kid. Before I apply for nursing school, I will need to opt myself out of our state's vax registry, and probably get titers done, and try to claim a religious reason for non-vax. I'm still having kids right now, with no plan to stop, and there's no way I'm vaxing myself while pregnant or soon before I get pregnant. I'm fine with putting off school for a little while, but I've btdt with getting frustrated with schools for not making their reqs clear. I've reconciled with the fact that I don't need to worry about that right this second, and I'll deal with it when it comes. I've also decided that if I can't manage to find a way to get around the vax req for clinicals, then I will put it off as long as I possibly can, and get them done when my youngest is older. I'm also willing for forge whatever I can/need to on vax forms, maybe... I'll have to think about that one a little bit...

I should add, I don't fear VPDs for me or my children. I don't choose to vax or not based on fear. We have decided that we would rather get the illness than get the vax. I would be fine, and in some cases happy, if my DC got rota, cpx, measles, mumps, rubella, hep a

[tink79]

Thank you for replying Amatullah0.  Yes, my concern was my children being exposed to the live virus via my vax's.  My youngest two have no vax's and no apparent exposure yet so I'd hate for my decision to expose them to all of the viruses at once.  It's still something that I am unsure about.

[Jazzmin]

I was wondering the same thing, though not because I fear making my children sick. The way the university has their vax policy written, they make it sound like there is no way around it. you must have them to attend the first day of classes. I was fully vaccinated as a child, but I don't have the Hep. B or an up to date tetanus. I would really prefer not being vaccinated again as I remember how badly I felt as a child after receiving one.

[Amatullah0]

MMR is live, but I've heard that it doesn't shed too bad.

Live flu vax(nasal spray) has the tendency to pass on to others(injection is fine, though the side effects of it might make you feel flu-ish, it doesn't contain a live strain of flu)

I don't know about chickenpox though.

I'm assuming those are the only live vaxes that you would be considering.

I'm also under the impression that shedding only occurs in the stool. I.e. not washing your hands well, or if one of your DDs came across some of your stool? But flu might be different(i.e. you blow your nose) No idea though, really.

BUT, at your kids' ages, if they get measles, mumps, rubella, or chickenpox, it's not likely to do them any harm, other than a week or so of staying home(and same with flu). If they haven't had chickenpox already, they still might be immune to it if they've been exposed to it. The live viruses in the vaxes are considered pretty benign, I believe, which is why they are still live. Polio vax, for instance, was made inactivated in the west due to the risk of contracting the virus via immunization vs. actually coming into contact with it was really rare. It's still given in "3rd world" countries because the pros of the live vax(which is said to work better than the inactivated vax) is said to be worth the risk of actually contracting the virus from the vax.