What vaccines did you need to get before you start medical school

I read that medical students need vaccines against hepatitis B, MMR, Tuberculosis etc before they start the course.
Did you need to get these vaccines? Did you need to get other vaccines like those against meningitis that I haven't mentioned?

Reply 1

Democracy

None. Started the hep B immunisation course during week 1 with occupational health.

MMR, BCG, etc were during childhood and school years.

Reply 2

Grandmaster24601

Original post by Democracy

None. Started the hep B immunisation course during week 1 with occupational health.

MMR, BCG, etc were during childhood and school years.

thank you, so no need for vaccines against TB even though we might come into contact with people who have it?

Reply 3

Greywolf.

Original post by Democracy

None. Started the hep B immunisation course during week 1 with occupational health.

MMR, BCG, etc were during childhood and school years.

Yes but does MMR really work?

Reply 4

Grandmaster24601

thank you. No I've had some but I know I'm missing others, also I didn't shadow doctors and such during work experience, I did other things.

Reply 5

eisb

The occupational health department at your university's hospital will be able to check you have had everything you need. Usually there will be plenty of time to get it sorted before starting clinical rotations. I got the Hep B vaccine in medical school, and since I missed out on the TB vaccine as a child, I got it during my first FY1 job.

Reply 6

Democracy

Original post by Grandmaster24601

thank you, so no need for vaccines against TB even though we might come into contact with people who have it?

Your medical school's occupational health department is best placed to advise on this. It's likely that you will eventually receive the vaccination so you may not need to arrange it yourself prior to starting.

Original post by Greywolftwo

Yes but does MMR really work?

Yes. Obviously.

Reply 7

Greywolf.

Original post by Democracy

Yes. Obviously.

Not in my case though, I had measles despite getting all the vaccines, I’m not cynical about vaccines because they do work but I’m just a special case

Reply 8

Democracy

Original post by Greywolftwo

Not in my case though, I had measles despite getting all the vaccines, I’m not cynical about vaccines because they do work but I’m just a special case

It's possible to still contract measles despite vaccination but it's very rare. It also doesn't mean that the MMR vaccine "doesn't work".

Reply 9

Greywolf.

Original post by Democracy

It's possible to still contract measles despite vaccination but it's very rare. It also doesn't mean that the MMR vaccine "doesn't work".

No I know, I’m not an ignorant anti vaxxer

Reply 10

Grandmaster24601

Original post by eisb

did it leave a scar?

Reply 11

nexttime

Original post by Grandmaster24601

thank you, so no need for vaccines against TB even though we might come into contact with people who have it?

TB vaccine isn't very effective, especially in non-infants. So its not necessarily a given.

I missed it in childhood and did have to have it later though yes. I also had no record of my childhood vaccines so had to have MMR done all over again.

Original post by Grandmaster24601

did it leave a scar?

You'd hope so - that's a recognised way of checking you've had it.

Original post by Greywolftwo

Not in my case though, I had measles despite getting all the vaccines, I’m not cynical about vaccines because they do work but I’m just a special case

I assume you mean laboratory proven measles.

Its a good 98%+ effective, and with herd immunity exposure to measles in the first place should be rare. I guess you were unlucky though - possibly caught it from some germy anti-vaxers!

Reply 12

Greywolf.

Original post by nexttime

I was unlucky I guess

Reply 13

eisb

Original post by Grandmaster24601

did it leave a scar?

Yes, a small one (about 0.5cm across) on my upper arm. Mine took a couple weeks or so to form a blister, which later discharged pus and healed over. Wasn't sore at all though (and I'm a wuss!)