Tetanus Clarification and Help Sought

[charlesandanna 2]

Hi guys. I just got off the phone with the pubic health unit and it looks like I'm too old for them to have records which means blood titers. According to the nurse I spoke to, they do not do Tetanus titers in Ontario. I also know I had a tetanus shot in June 2009 which I will be able to prove. So...

1. Does anybody know a place to get a Tetanus titer in London, ON or Toronto, ON?

2. You should not get a tetanus if you have had one in the past 5 years. Dr. Seiden's web site says you must have had one in the last 4 weeks or something like that. I have also checked the CDA and other links posted here. I can't find any information on whether I will need one or not and what are the consequences of having one.

3. I have also read that you cannot take Aspirin within 6 weeks of the varicella vaccine. I take a daily low dose due to my heart condition. Does anybody know anything about this?

4. And a bonus question ( ) that Dr. Seiden's office has not answered for me. Does anybody know if they require extra vaccinations for people with heart disease?

Big thanks for any help any of you can provide.

[SupportGeek 21]

Hi guys. I just got off the phone with the pubic health unit and it looks like I'm too old for them to have records which means blood titers. According to the nurse I spoke to, they do not do Tetanus titers in Ontario. I also know I had a tetanus shot in June 2009 which I will be able to prove. So...

1. Does anybody know a place to get a Tetanus titer in London, ON or Toronto, ON?

2. You should not get a tetanus if you have had one in the past 5 years. Dr. Seiden's web site says you must have had one in the last 4 weeks or something like that. I have also checked the CDA and other links posted here. I can't find any information on whether I will need one or not and what are the consequences of having one.

3. I have also read that you cannot take Aspirin within 6 weeks of the varicella vaccine. I take a daily low dose due to my heart condition. Does anybody know anything about this?

4. And a bonus question ( ) that Dr. Seiden's office has not answered for me. Does anybody know if they require extra vaccinations for people with heart disease?

Big thanks for any help any of you can provide.

1. - Just see your family doctor, they will give you a sheet to go to the lab and have the titres done. When I went to see mine, I explained what I was doing and I took a print out of all of the vaccinations I needed to have checked out, and was tested for all, including Tetanus/Diphtheria, this was the only one I needed to have updated.

2. - I would ask your doctor about this, if you can provide proof of the previous Tetanus shot as well, that is enough for Seidens.

3. - No Idea, again I would defer that question to your doctor, not a nurse.

4. - To see what immunizations you need click HERE (assuming you are 18-64 yrs old) these are what Immigration requires, also that you have no contagious diseases of course, but I don't believe heart disease falls under that category.

[Canadiandggal 49]

sorry to steal your question but it says you need a booster combo within the last ten years? I had one in 2002? but then someone said you need to have it done within 2 years? what is the correct timeline?

[Hendea3 4]

It used to be 10 years , and then recently (well within the last ten years anyways) they changed it to every 5 years. Being Canadian you can go to any walkin clinic and ask them for a tetanus booster (preferably with your immunization record in hand so they can see when you had one last adn record the new one). The booster is free and they should have it in stock and the clinic. Just make sure it is the tetanus/diptheria combo.

As for Dr. Seiden I'm not sure about the having it within a month of the exam...I had my exam yesterday(07/27/10) and my tetanus booster shot was done May 13th 2010 (2+ months) and he signed off on my vaccinations and said I was good to go

Hope this helps!

[Canadiandggal 49]

awesome you are very helpful. Would you know where to get my son a hep b shot? Our family doctor said he will not give him any shots till he gets a letter from dr seidan of what we still need. However i would like to get my son his hep b before hand. I did call a few travel clinics but never heard anything back.

should add he is 4 years old

[Hendea3 4]

where do you live?

[Canadiandggal 49]

oshawa ontario/toronto ontario.

im back and forth

[LiLMermaid 2]

awesome you are very helpful. Would you know where to get my son a hep b shot? Our family doctor said he will not give him any shots till he gets a letter from dr seidan of what we still need. However i would like to get my son his hep b before hand. I did call a few travel clinics but never heard anything back.

should add he is 4 years old

I would print off the immunization page from Dr Seiden's website for the 4-6yr olds. Your Dr is being ridiculous....does he really think an overpaid panel physician is going to send him a personal letter. I would try again with your personal Dr and tell him that just to see this Dr is going to cost you a lot of money and you only get to see him once and will not take calls nor write any personal letters. Might be helpful to print off the page that recommends that you get all immunizations done at your personal Dr. Other then that I would guess a travel clinic as well. Or even try a walk in clinic.

[Canadiandggal 49]

I already showed him the paper of immunations needed from dr seidans site. he told me that dr seidan will give me a sheet saying whats missing and then he will give me any shots needed. He is a new doctor and i tried to agrue but he is the doctor lol

[Hendea3 4]

I would try Medisys http://www.torontotravelclinic.com/

I went to the one in Montreal. I just explained that I will be immigrating at not travelling and I need the Hep A/B shot. THere may be a consultation fee (up to $80 depending ) in Montreal all I had to pay was an administration fee (basically to pay the nurse that was giving me the shot) which was $30 and I had no consulation fee, you also have to pay the price of the vaccine (65-75) depending where you get it.

I brought with me a printout of all recommended vaccines as listed on the USCIS website (sorry dont have the link but Dr Seidens listed by mermaid should do).

fyi AS LONG AS the shots have started Dr Seiden told me it was ok...ie since hep b takes 6 months as long as I had the first one he would sign off my vaccination sheet and I would not be delayed due to that.

[Canadiandggal 49]

ok I will try that. Thank you. worst case i will just be delayed a till i get his shots done.

I was told that he will give you paperwork stating what you need.

Thanks again

[ashenflowers 5]

Hi guys. I just got off the phone with the pubic health unit and it looks like I'm too old for them to have records which means blood titers. According to the nurse I spoke to, they do not do Tetanus titers in Ontario. I also know I had a tetanus shot in June 2009 which I will be able to prove. So...

1. Does anybody know a place to get a Tetanus titer in London, ON or Toronto, ON?

2. You should not get a tetanus if you have had one in the past 5 years. Dr. Seiden's web site says you must have had one in the last 4 weeks or something like that. I have also checked the CDA and other links posted here. I can't find any information on whether I will need one or not and what are the consequences of having one.

3. I have also read that you cannot take Aspirin within 6 weeks of the varicella vaccine. I take a daily low dose due to my heart condition. Does anybody know anything about this?

4. And a bonus question ( ) that Dr. Seiden's office has not answered for me. Does anybody know if they require extra vaccinations for people with heart disease?

Big thanks for any help any of you can provide.

Ooo... I was from London! I didn't have a family doctor so did everything via walk-in clinics. I went to the clinic on Bradley (I forget what it's called... it's the big one, not far from White Oaks Mall). They were able to do a Varicella Titre for me on site, so I don't see why they can't do the Tetanus one. Also, I DID have to get the Varicella vaccine (2 doses, don't forget), and got them done at the clinic downtown at King/Ridout. I don't remember hearing anything about Aspirin, and I looked for the info papers they gave me at the clinic, but I can't find them. Sorry

Do you have any of your vaccination records from childhood? Dr. Seiden's website has a series of 'or' 'or' 'or' qualifications. lol One of them is this (as I know you read, but just wanted to point out):

An initial series of three immunizations, which are normally received in childhood at ages 2, 4 and 6 months and a booster immunization within the last 10 years must be documented.

So, if you're able to prove your tetanus shots from childhood, plus the one from 2009, you should be ok without the titre. Otherwise, like I said, you can go to the clinic on Bradley St.

*edit* I just re-read and saw you said they don't do tetanus titres in Ontario? that makes no sense. lol I would call around and get a 2nd opinion on that one

Edited July 28, 2010 by ashenflowers

[LeslienScott 6]

Fellow Londoner here too! I second the Bradley Ave clinic. I went there to get my mumps titre. My Dr. filled a req. & went straight there without an appt.

As far as the varicella, as long as you've had chicken pox, you don't need the shot. Not age appropriate is what Dr. Seiden's office calls it. You just need a verbal on if you've had chicken pox.

I just had my medical last week, so this is all fresh in my mind!

[OBX 51]

*edit* I just re-read and saw you said they don't do tetanus titres in Ontario? that makes no sense. lol I would call around and get a 2nd opinion on that one

This is the second time I've read of this. I I would double check as ashen posted.

I had all of my titre test done through my GP (including tetanus which was forwarded to Ontario Public Health and varicella since I could not remember if I had chicken pox or not), took copies of the results to the medical at Dr. Seiden's and they accepted them no problem.

Edited July 28, 2010 by OBX