HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

vaccinations

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 12/14/2015 6:23 PM (GMT 0)
I am very frustrated!
I had chicken pox when i was a few months old so my pediatrician did not give me the vaccination
fast forward to now, I want to work in a hospital and I need to prove immunity to varicella (virus that causes chicken pox and shingles)
i took the test to check for antibody titers and it came back negative

do you know if the hospital is allowed to reject me based on the fact that I am not able to get the vaccine because of a "medical condition"

the vaccine is a live virus so I was told I cannot get it
Posted 12/14/2015 7:30 PM (GMT 0)
That's strange because I talked to my GI about getting the shingles vaccination and he said I could have it if I wanted it even though I'm on Humira. This was last year and I haven't gotten it yet since I sorta forgot about it and he did as well but I would still like to get it because every time I see that commercial for the vaccine it reminds me to ask him but by the time I see him I forget lol.
Posted 12/14/2015 8:08 PM (GMT 0)
I've had chicken pox three times now ... Most recently last summer. Twice due to suppressed immune system (once as a normal child). It is a live vaccine so would be madness to have. In addition, if like me you had it as a child ... So should have natural immunity ... And now due to drugs that immunity has been suppressed ... A vacc would do nothing (other than potentially give you the disease).

Chicken pox can be deadly in adults ... Not to be taken lightly the risk of catching. I'd be surprised if the hospital could take the risk ... But in sure there are protocols to ensure you're fairly treated.
Posted 12/14/2015 8:24 PM (GMT 0)
If you get a note from your doc saying you cant get a vaccine, the hospital will probably let you still work there. Im a med student and couldnt get my messels vaccine and was still allowed to practice in all of the local hospitals and clinics.
Posted 12/14/2015 8:28 PM (GMT 0)
The shingles vaccination is live. It's not recommended that uc patients on immunomodulators (imuran, 6mp, aza) and/or biologics (humira, remicade) take any form of a live vaccination. I've spoken to a few nurses who've known of uc patients who took a live vaccination and were fine. Certainly, immuno suppressed individuals are more at risk. It's something I'd discuss with your gastroenterologist.

What is a live vaccine? A human virus is put into a nonhuman host for a number of generations where it is allowed change to reproduce more efficiently in its new host. When put back into humans as a live vaccine, that virus is no longer efficient at reproducing within humans. Your immune system has the advantage over a weakened virus, develops antibodies and easily defeats it before you get sick.

In some cases, the weakened virus reverts back to being efficient at reproducing within humans, and with a weakened immune system, we might be in for trouble. It's not common to occur, but that's what they're guarding against when they tell us no live stuff.
Posted 12/15/2015 2:02 AM (GMT 0)
I know there are risk associated with getting live attenuated vaccines while on immunosuppressants. I hope the hospital will accept a letter from my doctor stating that for medically legitimate reasons I cannot be vaccinated.

If they are not willing to do so I might not want to go to nursing school as I want to work in peds. And they are likely to be strict

Thanks for the tips. Wondering if Ada has anything about this.
Posted 12/16/2015 5:38 AM (GMT 0)
Update: good news

Thankfully I took Microbiology and I was looking at the lab report and I saw that it said negative for IgM which basically means nothing because it's the first defense and if it would be positive it would actually mean that I had encountered varicella within the last couple of weeks

So I called the lab and they said they made a mistake and they tested for IgG and it came back positive meaning I have immunity to varicella
Phew!!

Thanks guys for the help
Posted 12/16/2015 3:42 PM (GMT 0)
That's great. Good luck.

I didn't know you could get chicken pox 3x. I had a very mild case as a child - literally 3 or 4 pox.
Posted 12/24/2015 7:47 PM (GMT 0)
The shingles vaccine is one of the few LIVE vaccines, which means you will be vaccinated with the actual disease...into an already compromised immune system from your Remicade and Imuran...not advised, as it will probably GIVE you the disease.

As a side note, the shingles vaccine is nothing more than a double dose of the chicken pox vaccine...

I know you can get a waiver saying you cannot have it, but it's up to the hospital if they would accept it as a condition to work there.
Posted 12/24/2015 7:59 PM (GMT 0)
I want to add one thing as a caution....for those women who are deciding to or those teens who are now old enough to get pregnant, please have a blood test for rubella (german measles). I remember when I did have them at around age 10...but when I was getting married at 19, it was customary to do blood testing before applying for a marriage license. Mine came back no antibodies for it, so had to have a vaccine.

Nowadays, they do NOT test for it, and contracting or coming in contact with others who have german measles, it can cause harm to the developing fetus.

Dikid...happy to hear all is well and you won't be needing the vaccine.

q
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply