Duplicate immunisations

[fiveworlds]

Is it okay to be immunized multiple times. Apparently my medical records don't exist.

[Phi for All]

From the Center for Disease Control & Prevention:

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/adoptions.html

If you are unsure as to whether or not your child was vaccinated, the doctor can have their blood tested for antibodies to determine their immunity to certain diseases. However, these tests may not always be accurate, so the doctor may not be sure your child is truly protected. In some cases, doctors may prefer to revaccinate your child anyway for best protection. It is safe for your child to be revaccinated, even if your child received that vaccine in their birth country. Talk to your child's doctor to determine what vaccines are needed to protect against diseases.

This part is for parents who adopt, but I'm sure the advice holds for anyone whose records have been compromised. There may be more specific advice about immunizations at the CDC site.

[fiveworlds]

Well I found one record after 30 or so phone calls of two of the 13 injections I need for working in a ward here.

[DogLady]

Just ask your doctor to draw titers for the immunizations. We can test whether you have protective antibodies for hepatitis A and B, measles, mumps, rubella (german measles), chickenpox. We can't test for tetanus/pertussis/diphtheria, or epidemic meningitis, so you would need a repeat immunization for those if you have no shot records.

 

DogLady

[fiveworlds]

Just ask your doctor to draw titers for the immunizations. We can test whether you have protective antibodies for hepatitis A and B, measles, mumps, rubella (german measles), chickenpox. We can't test for tetanus/pertussis/diphtheria, or epidemic meningitis, so you would need a repeat immunization for those if you have no shot records.

 

Sounds like good advice. http://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/pertussis-titer-instead-501374.html says I should get tetanus/pertussis booster shots anyway.

[John Cuthber]

"Is it okay to be immunized multiple times."

In general, yes.

 

Having been immunized does not stop you being "naturally" exposed to the infection again, and that doesn't do you any harm.

Being "artificially" exposed to it won't be very different.