Hep B vaccination

[Guest uOttawaBch]

Hey all,

 

I've been trying to contact the U of T Med office, but no luck (they're probably very busy at the moment). Anyway, I had a quick question about the vaccination procedure for all incoming students:

 

I've gone through all the required tests, but it turns out that I have never received any Hep B vaccination (quebec resident during childhood). So I will be starting with my first shot in the next week or two, but will not be able to finish for several months (apparently this vaccination requires 3 shots over several months). So what I am to do with the required paperwork (that yellow sheet)? Do i send U of T the form with only 1 shot filled in, and provide the additional information when I get the additional shots?

 

I hope this doesn't prevent me from participating in any activities during 1st year?

 

Also, when sending in the yellow form, are we required to send any additional information pertaining to our past history of vaccinations?

 

Thanks!

uOttawaBch

[Guest peachy]

Do I send U of T the form with only 1 shot filled in, and provide the additional information when I get the additional shots?

Yes.

 

I hope this doesn't prevent me from participating in any activities during 1st year?

Don't worry about it. Lots of people will be in the same position as you. And there are some people (like me) who need to get it twice because it doesn't take the first time, so it takes even longer to get it done!

 

Also, when sending in the yellow form, are we required to send any additional information pertaining to our past history of vaccinations?

I don't know what the "yellow form" is, but if you just fill in everything they ask for then you're fine. :-)

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hey there,

 

Like you, peachy, I'm also a Twinrix primary vaccination failure . (Also, never contracted chicken pox as a kid, and my rubella vaccination failed to take as well.)

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest uOttawaBch]

Thanks for the info!

Cheers!

[Guest geekpunk]

I'm in the same boat, but with a slightly different twist...

 

So anyways, my first TB test turned out to be... positive!!:eek But the reason for this seems to be because I did have a BCG vaccination for TB when I was really young (I was born in India). But of course, my Mom (who was the only person who knew this) didn't tell me beforehand slash had forgotten that I had it done. So, the TB test was positive and I was required to get a damn chest X-ray today. The results of the chest x-ray (which had better be negative!!!) will take "2-3 weeks" to reach my family doctor (according to the x-ray tech) and hence, may delay the August 1st "deadline" of returning the immunization info.

 

P.S. I never was good at tying those Johnny Shirts they make you wear when you go get an x-ray, so as I walked out of the X-ray room into the waiting area, my poorly tied knot became undone and exposed my (hot) backside to all the patients sitting in the waiting area. Of course, I, like a peevish little school-girl, shrieked in embarassment and tried to cover it all up to no avail. Sigh.

[Guest Madz25]

LOL geekpunk!!!

 

I'm in the process of having the TB test done. I also got the BCG vaccine when I was younger sooo lets see what happens...

[Guest scrubbed]

Hey there,

 

Interestingly enough, there's an article in this week's New England Journal of Medicine titled "Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from Health Care Workers"

 

With regards to BCG vaccination and tuberculin testing, here's a quotation from the article.

 

After BCG vaccination at birth, tuberculin reactivity wanes within 6 to 12 months. Among persons who are vaccinated after 1 year of age, tuberculin reactivity may persist longer, but it rarely lasts more than 10 years if there is no subsequent infection with M. tuberculosis. Thus, previous BCG vaccination should generally not influence the interpretation of a tuberculin skin test in persons who were vaccinated more than 10 years earlier. However, foreign-born health care workers frequently attribute positive skin tests to BCG vaccination and are less likely to recommend isoniazid for themselves or for members of their family than for others.4

 

[Edit: The policy can be found here.]

 

i. Tuberculosis: Students must have a two-step Mantoux skin test after June 1 and before September 1. A chest x-ray is required if TB skin test is positive. Students who have a chest x-ray compatible with old or active TB, or are anti-HBS negative after vaccination, must meet with the Director, Student Affairs, before commencing or continuing classes.

 

I had a positive test (first try) and a clear X-ray, but had a known contact with a person who had active TB, so I was asked to undergo latent TB prophylaxis with isoniazid for nine months.

 

I hope that this message isn't alarming. I just wanted to provide you with some more information if you were unsure about your results. Feel free to ask any questions. The fact that your form will be late shouldn't matter.

 

Take care.

[Guest hpylori]

Hey geekpunk!

 

Being from Hong Kong, I too am blessed with an, at least according to the current "scientific opinion", apparently useless vaccination. I finished my second step last week and I still have the marks from both tests (maybe I'll get to show and tell at O-Week! :P). First test - 0mm, second test - 8mm. That was a close shave as I was all set to take the x-ray. Certainly, the tech told me that ppl who have received the BCG vaccine tend to be (-) for first test and (+) for the second.

 

hpylori