Vaccinations Before School

[DrTacoElf]

Well i'm sure many of you, as do I, have to get some vaccinations before starting school.

I need varicella (2 doses 1 month apart), Hepatitis B Titer,TB Skin test for sure. Those are mandatory.

However i'm posting about the two "optional ones"
Hepatitis A
Mengiococcal

Anyone think these are worth getting?

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[ISU_Steve]

I strongly, as a practicing medical practitioner, recommend at very least the meningococcal vaccine. The Hep A wouldn't be a bad idea either, but if money's an issue (as it is for most people) I would recommend the meningococcal vaccine over the Hep. A.

 

[beard]

Well i'm sure many of you, as do I, have to get some vaccinations before starting school.

I need varicella (2 doses 1 month apart), Hepatitis B Titer,TB Skin test for sure. Those are mandatory.

However i'm posting about the two "optional ones"
Hepatitis A
Mengiococcal

Anyone think these are worth getting?

get it and forget about it. can't go wrong by getting it.

 

[billiken10]

I got both. It can't hurt and they don't really cost too much. I had to get hep A as a waiter anyway. As my physiology professor would say: "You never know if the guy making your salad didn't wash his hands after wiping." My professor was a weird guy....

 

[DrTacoElf]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'll most likely get everything


I'm surprised ianwright naithgirw hasn't shed his expertise on the issue

 

[unlvdmd]

I got both. It can't hurt and they don't really cost too much. I had to get hep A as a waiter anyway. As my physiology professor would say: "You never know if the guy making your salad didn't wash his hands after wiping." My professor was a weird guy....

Hey Billiken.... are you related to that runaway bride girl? You look just like her.

 

[unlvdmd]

as a practicing medical practitioner,

What do ya mean?

 

[DrTacoElf]

What do ya mean?

I think he's EMT.

 

[unlvdmd]

Oh. Gotcha. Thats probably a fun time!

 

[toofache32]

...As my physiology professor would say: "You never know if the guy making your salad didn't wash his hands after wiping." ....

Or what about this:

"You never know if the guy doing your surgery washed his hands after wiping"

 

[toofache32]

Hey Billiken.... are you related to that runaway bride girl? You look just like her.

Separated at birth?

 

[kelbal10]

Separated at birth?

 

[Darksunshine]

I strongly, as a practicing medical practitioner, recommend at very least the meningococcal vaccine. The Hep A wouldn't be a bad idea either, but if money's an issue (as it is for most people) I would recommend the meningococcal vaccine over the Hep. A.

Hey ISU_Steve: Is the ISU for Idaho State University? (Just curious, as I got my BS in DH there) and how common is it for people to actually need the meningococcal vaccine (I have been practicing DH for over 6 years and have never heard of this being a problem in dentistry.)? By no means am I implying that it might not be prudent or preventative, but I am curious is this vaccine really needed/wanted, or maybe should be made a mandatory requirement for entrance into school.

I have several friends in the military and they (the Army/Navy) seem to innoculate against everything possible under the sun, but often times they are performing an overkill.

Anyway, what's your take on this? Thanks.

 

[rocknightmare]

i thought that said vacations b4 school.

anyways vaccinations-- i haven't got a single letter from vcu to inform me of what i need to get ... should i be worried ?

 

[billiken10]

Separated at birth?

Yikes! I mean, I knew I was ugly, but THAT ugly?!?

 

[DrMom]

Well i'm sure many of you, as do I, have to get some vaccinations before starting school.

I need varicella (2 doses 1 month apart), Hepatitis B Titer,TB Skin test for sure. Those are mandatory.

However i'm posting about the two "optional ones"
Hepatitis A
Mengiococcal

Anyone think these are worth getting?

You can get the Hep A/B combination (twinrix) for essentially the same cost as the Hep B alone. Check with your local health department to see how much they cost. In the end, adding the Hep A cost me $15 extra over the cost of the Hep B alone (for the entire series of shots).

 

[ISU_Steve]

What do ya mean?

Actually I'm a respiratory therapist and echocardiographer at my paying jobs, but I'm an EMT-Intermediate as a volunteer....

DarkSunshine....Nope, Indiana State University, or if you want the more common explanation of the acronym "I Screwed Up" (by attending there- but what the heck, it's cheap- I can pay my tuition out of my paycheck from work.)

They recommend anyone attending college get the meningococcal vaccine actually, especially if you're going to be living in the dorms.

And I agree....Bill does look like the fraternal twin of the runaway bride chick.

Speaking of creepy similarities: Has anyone noticed the similarity between Pope Benedict XVI and Darth Sidious (Chancellor Palpatine) from the Star Wars movies? I'll post a couple of pics in just a minute.....

 

[billiken10]

Speaking of creepy similarities: Has anyone noticed the similarity between Pope Benedict XVI and Darth Sidious (Chancellor Palpatine) from the Star Wars movies? I'll post a couple of pics in just a minute.....

LOL!

 

[ISU_Steve]

Sorry, if you want to see the pics, please PM me and I'll send them to you. They've been taken down in the interest of civility.

 

[ISU_Steve]

Since I can't poke fun at the Pope because it might offend the Catholics amongst us, here's another set of photos highlighting shocking similarities between a celebrity and some not so famous figures:

 

[Profchaos]

LOL

 

[Sprgrover]

Separated at birth?

The resemblance is uncanny!

 

[unlvdmd]

Actually I'm a respiratory therapist and echocardiographer at my paying jobs, but I'm an EMT-Intermediate as a volunteer....

Cool!

 

[Dentalhopeful]

hey as far as varicella is concerned, isn't that what causes Chicken Pox. If you have had chicken pox before, then theoretically, you shouls not have to take this vaccine. That's what my doc said.

 

[ISU_Steve]

Cool!

I guess....actually RT sucks as a career field- the politics of RT blow big time and have for several years- hence the desire for a career change. The field is losing people left and right- to nursing, to medicine, to dentistry, to radiology, to jobs outside the medical field- because of a very nasty lack of respect amongst therapists over credentials. Basically imagine if the DMD's didn't respect DDS's and you'd have some idea of what is going on.

Echocardiography has it's interesting moments but you spend a lot of time looking at the same old crap (Oh look! A mitral valve!), but then again for $32-35 an hour (which is my going rate for contract work, I'd make less if I were on staff at the hospital and I wouldn't have the ability to tell the MD's "Screw it, I don't feel like working today" which would get you fired most places, but since the cardiologists either wait for the hospital to have an appointment-average wait time is about 10 days- or wait for me to come to their office and use their U/S machine to do the study they don't get too pissy about me setting my own schedule), I'll stare at damn near anything. Plus it's kind of nice being able to tell a doc, "Sorry but you'll have to wait until tomorrow- I am going fishing/hunting/etc today" and have them go "OK, let me know when you're available".

I could do it full time- and the docs would keep me busy- and clear about $70K a year but I don't want to do it full time. But the major drawback to echo is that you really don't get to see outcomes on your patients....it lacks the feedback I want out of a career. Yeah, the money's nice, but I don't see myself making much of a difference- I just help provide the diagnosis.....I guess it's a weird way to look at things but oh well, that's how I feel....

Emergency medical services is another job that's just overrated- less than 10% of what we do is the lights and sirens stuff you see on TV. It's more akin to being a social worker most of the time than anything involving critical care. But when it gets bad, it gets real bad. It nearly drove me to madness- you see your friends die in front of you and see how much you want to continue doing EMS for less than what I would make for working at a Best Buy. It's nearly impossible to have a normal family life being an EMT, most people I know who are in it work two jobs just to make ends meet.

Sorry for rambling....

 

[toofache32]

I gotta tell you...when I was rotating in the Surgical ICU, nobody taught me more about vents and pulmonary issues than the RT. He was always my go-to-guy when I had questions.

 

[v&andy_yankee]

i'm surprised you don't already have the mening. shot--it seems like most colleges are making it mandatory nowadays. i can't remember if it was mandatory or just highly highly recommended by my undergrad, but i'm sure it is mandatory nowadays. crappy food + small living quarters + crappy air = you won't be in the best places.

 

[ISU_Steve]

I gotta tell you...when I was rotating in the Surgical ICU, nobody taught me more about vents and pulmonary issues than the RT. He was always my go-to-guy when I had questions.

Yeah, most RT's know their stuff. When I was an RT in the Air Force our pulmonology attendings first question out of his mouth when he was paged by the residents for something would be "Have you asked my RT's? No, well do that and then if you don't get your answer call me back" and he would hang up. He said he seldom got called back. But thanks for saying what you did about us RT's Toofache....it's nice to know at least some people think respectfully of our profession.

 

[Darksunshine]

Since I can't poke fun at the Pope because it might offend the Catholics amongst us, here's another set of photos highlighting shocking similarities between a celebrity and some not so famous figures:

 

[DrTacoElf]

Based on the advice of my uncle an ER physician, I made an appointment for

TB Skin Test
Hep A Series 1 of 2
Mengiococcal
Varicella Series 1 of 2 (Never had chicken pox as a kid)

Total Cost $241 at public health clinic. No insurance accepted.

Also made an appointment at my Dr Office for
Hep B Titer

Total Cost

 

[reLAXgirl]

Based on the advice of my uncle an ER physician, I made an appointment for

TB Skin Test
Hep A Series 1 of 2
Mengiococcal
Varicella Series 1 of 2 (Never had chicken pox as a kid)

Total Cost $241 at public health clinic. No insurance accepted.

Also made an appointment at my Dr Office for
Hep B Titer

Total Cost

Cheaper than treating the disease upon contraction!

 

[fruity_trident]

Based on the advice of my uncle an ER physician, I made an appointment for

TB Skin Test
Hep A Series 1 of 2
Mengiococcal
Varicella Series 1 of 2 (Never had chicken pox as a kid)

Total Cost $241 at public health clinic. No insurance accepted.

Also made an appointment at my Dr Office for
Hep B Titer

Total Cost

go Canada & its health care sys
(I actually don't have an extensive knowledge on the politics based around this...so I hope no one starts forum-posting-spars with me lol)

 

[toofache32]

Cheaper than that ER visit when they gave me a shot of penicillin for that knee pain....

 

[ISU_Steve]

Cheaper than that ER visit when they gave me a shot of penicillin for that knee pain....

Sure, yeah. Knee pain. Right.......

 

[Bullfan16]

Separated at birth?

If by "separated at birth" you mean..."no resemblance what-so-ever" then you are dead on.

WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE? THEY LOOK NOTHING ALIKE!

She's got the hyperthyroidism look down pat--I mean thats a textbook case....compare her with this woman

 

[fruity_trident]

"vaccination" thread has turned into "people who like like people or star wars characters"

THIS IS EXACTLY WHY my non-science friends think i'm a super geek..because THIS is what we do SDN.lol

where's the geeky emoticon when u need one?

 

[ISU_Steve]

Specifically Graves' disease, that's one of the two forms of autoimmune thyroid disease (the other being Hashimoto's thyroiditis) and causes most cases (about 75%) of hyperthyroidism in the US and is characterized by exophthalmos (the bulging eyes you've found such a great example of) in moderate to severe cases. There are even a small number of Graves' disease patients who present with normal thyroid lab values (so called "euthyroidic Graves' disease"), but it is the most common cause of thyroid storm and can cause serious health issues despite it's "funny" appearance (one of my friend's mothers suffers from it, so I don't find it as humorous as I otherwise probably would)

Trust me, the runaway bride might be skinny, but she doesn't look like any Graves' patient I've ever seen. She's just got big f--kin' eyes for her head. Must be useful for occupying space that normally would house the brain.

 

[Bullfan16]

Specifically Graves' disease, that's one of the two forms of autoimmune thyroid disease (the other being Hashimoto's thyroiditis) and causes most cases (about 75%) of hyperthyroidism in the US and is characterized by exophthalmos (the bulging eyes you've found such a great example of) in moderate to severe cases. There are even a small number of Graves' disease patients who present with normal thyroid lab values (so called "euthyroidic Graves' disease"), but it is the most common cause of thyroid storm and can cause serious health issues despite it's "funny" appearance (one of my friend's mothers suffers from it, so I don't find it as humorous as I otherwise probably would)

Trust me, the runaway bride might be skinny, but she doesn't look like any Graves' patient I've ever seen. She's just got big f--kin' eyes for her head. Must be useful for occupying space that normally would house the brain.

Sorry didnt mean to offend...I wasnt really trying to be humorous...only trying to show a similarity b/w her and a patient who has exophthalmos. I know its not a laughing matter. In any case, if you have seen any other pictures of her, her eyes are definitely protruding through her skull. Anyway, I apologize if for the misunderstanding.

 

[ISU_Steve]

I know you weren't trying to be rude, and I didn't take it that way. I just saw a chance to teach people about a disease that doesn't get a lot of attention despite being relatively common (up to 15 million people in the US have hyperthyroidism of some form and about half of them have no idea).

Here's a link to some more information:
http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic929.htm

 

[unlvdmd]

I don't think she has symptoms of Graves/Hashimotos. But I do think she looks like him. I don't think thats a bad thing. She is kinda cute!

 

[billiken10]

I don't think she has symptoms of Graves/Hashimotos. But I do think she looks like him. I don't think thats a bad thing. She is kinda cute!

Has anybody seen my self-esteem? I seem to have lost it around here somewhere....

 

[toofache32]

Has anybody seen my self-esteem? I seem to have lost it around here somewhere....

I agree that you don't really look like her. I was just posting the picture to have fun with the prior comment. At your expense.

I'm glad you can take a joke.

 

[Darksunshine]

Has anybody seen my self-esteem? I seem to have lost it around here somewhere....

Ahh Billiken! I still like yah! /comfort.

 

[billiken10]

Ahh Billiken! I still like yah! /comfort.

 

[ISU_Steve]

Yeah, Bill....don't worry....we all just give you hell because we like you.