Titer Testing, Who Needs It?

If you’re a parent, no doubt you remember your little one having to head to the pediatrician to get vaccines for several diseases. In many states, those immunizations are required for school-aged children. If your child is now a young adult, they may be heading to college or heading into the next chapter of life, and they need those immunization records. Problem is, those records are sometimes difficult to track down, especially if you’ve moved.

When Proof of Immunization is Needed

Besides colleges and universities requiring proof of immunization, there are others who need to have confirmation of immunization, like healthcare students, travelers, school faculty, healthcare and veterinary professionals, medical sales and medical device representatives.

Titer Testing with Any Lab Test Now®

If you fall into any of these categories, Any Lab Test Now® can provide answers through a few of our titer tests. These are antibody tests that detect the presence and measure the amount of antibodies in a person’s blood and can provide confirmation of immunization. Antibodies are proteins produced by the immune system in response to the presence of foreign substances, such as viruses or bacteria. A titer may be used to prove immunity to disease.

What Does a Titer Test Reveal?

Here’s the process. Come to an Any Lab Test Now® lab testing center. We will obtain a blood sample from you. The results of the titer test will show whether you have a sufficient level of antibodies against the targeted pathogen. If the titer level is above a certain threshold, it generally indicates that you are immune to the disease or have a protective level of antibodies due to prior exposure or vaccination. If the test is negative (no immunity) or equivocal (not enough immunity) you need to get a booster vaccine.

Titer tests are commonly used for diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis, varicella (chickenpox), and others. They are also used to check immunity for individuals at risk of exposure to certain infectious agents.

Get Tested at Any Lab Test Now®

Here are a few of the important tests we have at Any Lab Test Now®.

Student Titer I Panel – This is a simple venous blood draw that can test for immunity for the following diseases:

Measles – Also known as rubeola, is a virus that infects cells in the lung and in the back of the throat.
Mumps – This is a contagious viral infection that is easily spread through sneezing, coughing, talking, or by sharing items (e.g., utensils or cups).
Rubella – Highly contagious infection characterized by fever and rash.
Varicella – Chickenpox and shingles are caused by an infection with the varicella-zoster virus (VZV).

Student Titer II Panel – this was previously called the Allied Health Panel. This series covers all the above-mentioned diseases, plus tests for hepatitis B, which is inflammation of the liver caused by a viral infection.

Why Vaccines are Important

The World Health Organization attributes immunization to saving millions of lives every year, creating a significant impact on global health, promoting healthy populations, and enabling economic development by reducing illness-related productivity losses.

Vaccines are designed to protect individuals from serious and potentially life-threatening infectious diseases. They stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies and memory cells, which provide immunity against specific pathogens. Vaccines have been instrumental in eradicating or controlling several diseases that were once widespread and caused significant morbidity and mortality. For example, smallpox has been eradicated worldwide, and diseases like polio and measles have seen significant reductions in cases due to vaccination efforts.

Healthcare and You

If you want or need to know if you have immunity against certain illnesses, Any Lab Test Now® can help. We are a lab testing center that provides tangible results, which gives you the opportunity to make well-informed decisions about your health.

With many young adults leaving the nest, they are budgeting for the first time, or it’s the debut of their own healthcare plans. For insurance with a high deductible, we are the solution to help save you money. Lab testing is one of the medical expenses you can pay for with a Health Savings Account (HSA) or a Flexible Spending Account (FSA).

Any Lab Test Now® is Your Partner in Health

It’s important for young adults or anyone looking for information to understand the value of their health and make informed choices that support their well-being. We are here as a resource to obtain answers. Call now to schedule an appointment at a location near you.

Making Sense of Immunizations

Immunizations can be quite confusing, but they are necessary for people of all ages to maintain good health. For example, you need to know what shots are needed at what age, how many, and when to get them.

As your child grows, you need to keep track of their health information, and frankly, it’s a lot. That’s the point of National Immunization Awareness Month — focusing on ensuring that your family is up to date.

The Difference Between Immunization and Vaccination

Bottom line, vaccines protect against diseases. They work in different ways to offer protection, but essentially your body will remember how to fight the virus when/if it enters the body in the future.

The words immunization and vaccination seemed to be used interchangeably quite often, but are they the same? We’ve all become accustomed to the terminology in the era of COVID-19 and determining the difference between vaccinated and boosted.

To put it simply, according to the CDC, immunization is the action of making a person immune to infection, typically through inoculation. Vaccination is theact of introducing a vaccine into the body to produce protection from a specific disease. You can become immune to certain infections or diseases typically through vaccination.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), immunization prevents deaths in all age groups from diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), influenza, and measles every year. It is one of the most successful and cost-effective public health interventions.

That’s why, annually, health centers like Any Lab Test Now® observe National Immunization Awareness Month highlighting the advantages of vaccinations for all your family members, no matter what age.

Types of Vaccines

When vaccines are created, scientists research how your body or immune system will respond to the disease when a vaccine is present.

Innovative medicine is always working on updating vaccines and improving them to maintain a healthy population. Each type of vaccine is designed to teach your immune system how to fight certain germs that enter the body and the consequent diseases that make you ill.

There are about six different types of vaccines:

Inactivated vaccines – They may contain weakened live viruses that have been inactivated. Protection from this type of vaccine is not as strong as a live virus, so booster shots are often required. To name a few, inactivated vaccines are used to protect against hepatitis A, flu, polio, and rabies.
Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines – This technology was used to make some of the COVID-19 shots. They have several benefits compared to other types of vaccines, including shorter manufacturing times, and because they do not contain a live virus, no risk of causing disease.
Subunit, recombinant, polysaccharide, and conjugate vaccines – These use specific pieces of the germ — its protein, sugar, or capsid (a casing around the germ). Because these vaccines use only specific pieces of the germ, they give a very strong immune response that’s targeted to key parts of the germ. Examples include hepatitis B, whooping cough, HPV, and shingles.
Toxoid vaccines – These use a toxin made by the germ that causes a disease. They create immunity to the parts of the germ that cause a disease instead of the germ itself. Examples include diphtheria and tetanus.
Viral vector vaccines – These vaccines use a modified version of a different virus as a vector to deliver protection. This type has been used to combat Ebola and Covid-19.
Live-attenuated vaccines – These arecurrently recommended as part of the U.S. Childhood Immunization Schedule and include protection against varicella (chickenpox), rotavirus, and smallpox; also measles, mumps, and rubella (via the combined MMR vaccine).

That MMR vaccine is a very important vaccine for children. The CDC recommends all children get two doses of MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine. Starting with the first dose at 12 through 15 months of age and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age. As your child grows, they will need proof of this vaccination as they attend daycare, elementary school, high school, and into college as well as to participate in sports. Thanks to this vaccine, we are effective at preventing these diseases.

Should you misplace your child’s immunization record because you moved, changed pediatricians, or simply can’t find it, there is a way for you to determine if your child has immunity.

At Any Lab Test Now®, we can utilize the MMR Titer — a blood test that checks if you are immune to measles, mumps, and rubella. It measures your antibody levels to get a sense of whether your immune system has the capability to respond to an infection with one of these diseases. Take this opportunity during National Immunization Awareness Month to check your family’s status.

School is Back, Take Your Health Back, Too

Any Lab Test Now® makes it easy to prioritize your health and stay on top of your immunizations. As we head back to school, it’s more important than ever to be on top of you and your child’s vaccinations. Ensure you’re taking the steps for yourself and your loved ones to stay protected in settings where you may not know everyone else’s vaccination status.

Any Lab Test Now® is safe, confidential, and convenient for you and your family. We have more than 200 locations across the country. For the best way to start the school year, click here for the nearest Any Lab Test Now® location.

Returning to Campus? Here’s What You Need to Know About Immunizations

August is National Immunization Month, and it carries special meaning in 2021; since many students, from kindergarten to college age, are returning to school campuses for the first time since March of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This commemorative month is an ideal time to make sure everyone is current on the vaccinations that are in place to protect our health.

You may be surprised to learn vaccinations and immunizations are not the same things. Immunization is what happens to the body after a vaccine has been given. It is the process of the body becoming immune to whatever disease the vaccination is designed to prevent.

Vaccinations are one of modern medicine’s greatest achievements and are one of the most successful and cost-effective public health interventions. Currently, two to three million deaths are prevented every year because of the immunization effect of vaccines — this includes deaths from diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), influenza, and measles.

In addition to regular immunizations required to start school, kids under age 12 could soon join the rest of the country and become eligible for a COVID vaccine. Whether it will be mandatory for school attendance is still being worked out. For public schools, vaccine mandates are set by states. Private schools operate independently from state requirements and could demand students be vaccinated against COVID as part of enrollment.

The Chronicle of Higher Education database has an ever-evolving list of public and private colleges and universities across the United States that will require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to register for classes or move into on-campus housing.

Herd Immunity

When a high percentage of the population is immune to an infectious disease, whether from active infection or vaccination, this is considered herd immunity — meaning the herd or the community is better protected.

Active infection of these vaccine-preventable diseases is generally associated with worse outcomes than the vaccination itself, so vaccination to obtain herd immunity is preferred.

When people do not get vaccinated, and immunization rates drop, it increases the risk of an outbreak.

For example, the CDC recorded more than 700 new cases of measles in New York in 2019, becoming the highest number of cases since 1994. The outbreak was traced to communities with poor vaccination adherence and exposure in one way or another to the infectious disease.

To reduce the threat of infectious disease, a certain level of herd immunity needs to be achieved for each one.

Herd Immunity Rates:

COVID-19: 70 percent
Pertussis: (whooping cough): 92 percent to 94 percent
Diphtheria: 83 percent to 86 percent
Rubella – 83 percent to 86 percent
Smallpox – 80 percent to 86 percent
Polio: 80 percent to 86 percent
Mumps: 75 percent to 86 percent
SARS: 50 percent to 80 percent
Ebola: 33 percent to 60 percent
Influenza (flu): 33 percent to 44 percent

Antibody Testing

For parents worried about whether their children have developed an immunity to COVID-19 (once they receive the vaccine or have had the virus), there is a special test available.

Select Any Lab Test Now® locations are offering the COVID-19 Vaccine-Generated Antibody Test which can be used to determine if your body has produced antibodies after receiving a vaccine. The test searches for antibodies against the spike protein, which normally will appear within two weeks after receiving your COVID-19 vaccine.

An antibody test can also be helpful to those who either lost their vaccination card or do not have complete or reliable medical records, especially if it’s required by a school system or institution for enrollment. This can aid in identifying the vaccines someone has already received.

Taking the Vaccine-Generated Antibody Test

The COVID-19 Vaccine-Generated Antibody Test is for anyone who’s had no known exposure to the virus and has received an entire series or dosage of a government-approved COVID-19 vaccine. The test should be administered 2-3 weeks after the final dose of your vaccine. A simple blood draw is all it takes, and no fasting is necessary. The test cost varies by location, but it’s around $120. The COVID-19 Vaccine-Generated Test is not covered by insurance, but you are welcome to use a Healthcare Spending Account.

For parents, this test will allow you to gain some peace of mind as your child returns to the classroom. Getting vaccinated helps your child to develop immunity against the virus. Our test can help you to determine once and for all where your child stands.

Be at Ease

Any Lab Test Now wants you to be at ease when it comes to seeking out any type of lab work, including determining if you’ve developed antibodies from any past infections or vaccines.

We provide you a safe and clean alternative location for lab work. Each of our 190+ stores is sanitized several times a day, in accordance with the CDC’s protocols. Any Lab Test Now is a committed partner in helping you manage your family’s healthcare so you can make educated decisions that will directly affect your quality of life. We want to put you at ease during the coronavirus pandemic. We are here to help.

For more information about Any Lab Test Now, and the tests we offer, visit us at www.anylabtestnow.com.

Presumptive Evidence of Immunity – Why It Is Important To You

So what is “presumptive evidence of immunity” and why should you care about it? In honor of National Immunization Awareness Month, Any Lab Test Now wants you to take a moment to think about measles, mumps, and rubella (also known as German measles). These aren’t diseases that too many of us spend time thinking about because we were most likely immunized against them when we were very little.

But how do you know that an immunization is still effective when you received it so long ago that you can’t even remember it? The CDC recommends that children get two doses of the MMR vaccine with the first dose starting at age 12 to 15 months. The second dose is usually given between the ages of 4 through 6. For most of us, that’s a pretty long time ago! If you received the shot as a child and you still have proof of it, you have “presumptive evidence of immunity.”

That’s not good enough for some people. Some people in high-risk situations may want more concrete evidence. Any Lab Test Now offers you a way to see if your vaccine is still protecting you — keeping you from worrying or from receiving an unnecessary shot. It’s called MMR Titer Testing. Simply put, it’s a blood test that checks to see if you are immune to measles, mumps, and rubella.

MMR Titer Testing

For some people, MMR Titer Testing provides peace of mind; for others, it might be required. No matter which category you fall into, Any Lab Test Now can provide you with certified lab results that will either prove you are safe — or let you know that you need to take action. Who might consider MMR Titer Testing? Turns out, a surprising number of people!

College Students – According to the CDC, students at post-high school educational institutions who do not have presumptive evidence of immunity need two doses of MMR vaccine, separated by at least 28 days.

International Travelers – Each year, unvaccinated people get infected while in other countries, bring the disease into the United States and spread it to others. Each year, an estimated 10 million people are affected by measles, and the disease kills almost 110,000 people around the world! Measles, in particular, is so contagious that if just one person has it, up to 90 percent of the people close to them who are not immune will also become infected.

Healthcare Personnel – People who work in hospitals and doctor’s offices are at high risk and have to have documented proof of protection.

Women of Childbearing Age – If you’re thinking about becoming pregnant, you might want to check for evidence of immunity before pregnancy. Another important point: women should avoid getting pregnant for at least one month after getting the MMR vaccine.

If you’ve managed to keep your childhood immunization record then you have presumptive evidence of immunity. Also, if you were born before 1957, you should be covered as well. Otherwise, your local Any Lab Test Now is available to provide you with the proof of protection you need.

Facing An Adult Illness With Childhood Protection: Are You Still Safe?

It’s part of the back-to-school routine.

School supplies… check.

Lunchbox… check.

Immunization record… check.

For the majority of families, vaccinations are just a part of childhood. The shots provide children with immunity from everything from measles to chickenpox. Particularly the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella (also known as German measles). All 50 states and the District of Columbia have laws that require some immunizations before a child can enter childcare and public schools. But, by the time you’ve reached the age for college and other postsecondary educational institutions, you may very well have lost your records providing evidence of immunity.

Evidence of Immunity

That’s where Any Lab Test Now® can help. If you’ve lost your evidence of immunity records that are required by many colleges and even some professions, there’s an easy way to prove your immunity. It’s called the MMR Titer. The MMR Titer is a simple blood test that checks if you are immune to measles, mumps, and rubella by measuring your antibody levels. The results demonstrate whether or not your immune system has the capability to respond to an infection from one of the viruses.

Timing is Important

The timeline is important as it pertains to the MMR Titer. After having your blood drawn at your local Any Lab Test Now, it will generally take between 24 to 72 business hours to get your results. This is important because if your results show that you have low to no immunity, you’ll need to arrange to receive two doses of the MMR vaccines, separated by at least 28 days.

Who Might Need an MMR Titer Test

Most people know that school-aged children will need to provide proof of vaccination, but many may not realize that it’s not just kids that require a record. You will need to provide evidence of immunity or the results of an MMR Titer if:

You are a student at a post-high school educational institution.
You are a person who works in certain settings, such as hospitals or medical clinics, and are at risk for increased exposure.

The CDC also recommends that people who plan to travel internationally make certain that they are protected before traveling. Doctors also recommend that women of childbearing age make certain of their coverage before getting pregnant.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT THE MMR VACCINE! According to the CDC, a few people who get two doses of MMR vaccine may still get measles, mumps or rubella if they are exposed to the viruses. Experts aren’t sure why, but suspect that it could be that the immune system did not respond to the original vaccine as well as it should have.

Take Control of Your Health

Your local Any Lab Test Now makes it easy. There are friendly experts there to answer any of your questions and provide you with the results you need to take your next steps forward. Getting through childhood is hard work — let us make sure your childhood immunizations are still working as hard as you are.

Me and the Measles

My name is Terri McCulloch and I am the Vice President, Sales & Marketing for ANY LAB TEST NOW®. Don’t let the title scare you – I’ve actually got a personal story that I thought might help some of you with questions about measles, vaccinations and your own immunity.

As you’ve seen in the news, 2015’s outbreak of the year so far has been the measles, a disease that was declared eradicated from the U.S.in 2000. It is one of the easiest to contract – living on surfaces and in the air up to 2 hours after an infected person leaves that area.

So, after hearing the news, I called my mother. I now have to admit I was born in 1963 and almost 52 years old; my mother is 76. I had a number of reasons for questioning my immunity:

I have a grandson with Down Syndrome. Children with Down’s have lower immunity, even though he has been vaccinated.
I have another grandson that is 9 months old who has not been vaccinated – he actually is not old enough for his first MMR vaccine yet. My daughter is what I lovingly call a “millennial hippie” – she is a vegetarian, eats organic, has rain barrels and a garden in her backyard, and cares about people and the earth. She has concerns about vaccines so after consulting with her naturopathic pediatrician, they decided my grandson would not receive his immunizations until after age 2.
I’ve read that vaccines given between 1957 and 1971 were not as effective as vaccines available now.
I travel – a lot. Usually 2 to 3 weeks a month. When I am not traveling, I am meeting people. So, as you see, I can be a likely carrier of anything and everything unknowingly from people around me – even people who left less than 2 hours ago with the measles and may not yet know they are infected….

The last thing I wanted to do was get my grandsons sick. So, let’s get back to my mom. The conversation went like this:

Me: “Mom, did I ever have the measles growing up?”

Mom: “I think so, but I don’t remember.”

Me: “Did you get me vaccinated?”

Mom: “I don’tknow butI think so. You’re in your 50s – I don’t have your shot records!”

Big question mark….

I had to make a decision – get a measles or MMR vaccine booster, or check to see if I am immune. I made the personal decision to check my immunity and if I’m a walking hazard, I’ll then get vaccinated. I got my MMR titer, a blood test that tests for immunities to the measles, mumps and rubella, yesterday. I should have my results in just a few days. As a grandmother, I already feel a lot better, knowing I will know for sure before something happens.

Know Your Measles Facts: Are You Immune?

(January 2015)- Unfortunately, the current outbreak of measles that began at Disneyland in California has now spread to the Phoenix, Arizona area. Will Humble, the director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, has stated that the outbreak has reached a “critical point” and that he suspects the number of cases will continue to increase throughout the United States as more unknown, asymptomatic infected people travel. As the virus becomes a reality in our neighborhoods, it’s important to be educated regarding the facts.

Measles is a highly contagious virus that, according to The Center for Disease Control, has the ability to affect 90% of the unimmune people in close proximity to an infected person. Infected people can spread the virus to others from four days before to four days after the rash symptom appears.

The virus typically begins to show with a fever, red and watery eyes, a cough, and a runny nose. Three to five days after the person becomes symptomatic, a red, raised, and blotchy rash that usually begins at the hairline and spreads downwards to the lower extremities appears. Keep in mind that the symptoms of measles generally show about seven to 14 days after a person has been infected.

As for immunity against this virus, a vaccine is administered via the MMR vaccine, which is a combination vaccine that protects against measles, mumps, and rubella. In the United States, two doses are recommended for children, with the first dose recommended at 12-15 months of age.

If you are unsure if you have had the MMR vaccine or the measles, or are planning to travel internationally where there is an even higher incidence of measles, please contact your local Any Lab Test Now® for a simple recommended blood test. Any Lab Test Now® offers the “measles titer” to see if you are immune to measles. It is a quick blood test that measures your antibody levelsto this disease to get a sense for whether your immune system has the capability to respond to the infection. Don’t wait to gain peace of mind — get tested at your local Any Lab Test Now® today!

Important Immunization Facts for College Students

This year, America’s colleges and universities are welcoming back record numbers of students. If you’re one of the more than 21 million undergraduates¹ attending school this fall, you know that proof of immunization is an important requirement. Now is the perfect time to learn more about which vaccinations you’ll need. Before you can step foot in the classroom, make sure you’re up-to-date on these shots.

REQUIRED (varies by state and institution, so check with your college)

MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella)
Meningitis
Hepatitis B
Varicella (chicken pox)

RECOMMENDED

Influenza (flu)
Td (tetanus, diphtheria)
HPV (human papillomaviruses)

Minors will need to get parental consent before getting caught up on any immunizations they might be missing. If you aren’t sure which vaccinations you’ve already had, speak with your doctor to obtain a medical history. Or, you can obtain proof of immunization through a lab test, such as MMR titers or Varicella titer testing. Some diseases – chicken pox, for example – will not require additional immunization if you have already been sick.

¹ U.S. Department of Education Institute, National Center for Education Statistics