Interestingly, I had a titer done for Tdap in May of 2024 to try and not have to take another one for nursing school. It came back and showed me as immune to both Tetanus and Diphtheria, but for pertussis, there was no range for immunity. Pertussis result was 1 IU/mL and the results stated this:
"REFERENCE RANGE::
Age (years) (IU/mL)
IgG: < or = 10 <66
11-59 <43
> or = 60 <32
This assay cannot be used to assess protective immunity to
pertussis because the specific antibodies and antibody levels
that correlate with protection have not been well defined.
The primary intent of the assay is to aid in the diagnosis
of infection following natural exposure to Bordetella
pertussis. The indicated PT IgG reference ranges reflect the
90th percentile of antibody levels in sera from healthy
children and blood donors; thus, levels above the reference
range suggest recent infection or vaccination within the
last few months.
This test was developed and its analytical performance
characteristics have been determined by Quest Diagnostics.
It has not been cleared or approved by FDA. This assay has
been validated pursuant to the CLIA regulations and is
used for clinical purposes."
They did not accept my titer and said I still had to have the vaccine every ten years...
why are they using a test that is not FDA approved? Do they even know that TDaP and DTaP don't protect against infection? Most likely they are not aware of the facts.
I completely agree with you, but they are all like that here (KY). Tdap is required every 10 years, as well as a slew of other vaccines required before you start.
Interestingly, I had a titer done for Tdap in May of 2024 to try and not have to take another one for nursing school. It came back and showed me as immune to both Tetanus and Diphtheria, but for pertussis, there was no range for immunity. Pertussis result was 1 IU/mL and the results stated this:
"REFERENCE RANGE::
Age (years) (IU/mL)
IgG: < or = 10 <66
11-59 <43
> or = 60 <32
This assay cannot be used to assess protective immunity to
pertussis because the specific antibodies and antibody levels
that correlate with protection have not been well defined.
The primary intent of the assay is to aid in the diagnosis
of infection following natural exposure to Bordetella
pertussis. The indicated PT IgG reference ranges reflect the
90th percentile of antibody levels in sera from healthy
children and blood donors; thus, levels above the reference
range suggest recent infection or vaccination within the
last few months.
This test was developed and its analytical performance
characteristics have been determined by Quest Diagnostics.
It has not been cleared or approved by FDA. This assay has
been validated pursuant to the CLIA regulations and is
used for clinical purposes."
They did not accept my titer and said I still had to have the vaccine every ten years...
why are they using a test that is not FDA approved? Do they even know that TDaP and DTaP don't protect against infection? Most likely they are not aware of the facts.
I actually ordered it myself through Quest, hoping that they would accept it at the nursing school in lieu of a Tdap vaccine.
I meant "they" as in the nursing school which is unfortunate as they are teaching the next generation of care providers
I completely agree with you, but they are all like that here (KY). Tdap is required every 10 years, as well as a slew of other vaccines required before you start.
Get DTaP or like if you enjoy allergies, asthma, and autoimmune diseases.