3/29/24
One of the things to do immediately to prepare to leave for the mission field is making sure you have all your immunizations. For our mission papers Todd and I had already gotten all the dates of our previous immunizations and we were current on most things. Neither of us had been vaccinated for Hepatitis A/B so we had started that shot series months ago in order to be completed well before our availability date. We thought we would have no problems with the vaccination requirements. Well . . . of course I ran into some snags. During the days of panic (days 2 & 3 after receiving the call) we found out that the shingles vaccine and the pneumonia vaccine are recommended. They aren’t required, just recommended. However, on the form there is a big old check box to mark when you have received your vaccines. If there is a particular one you will not/cannot receive you mark the box that says: decline. When you mark that decline button it brings up a bright red X to show you are not getting that shot. (If you decline required shots, they may reassign where you are serving your mission.)
Now, I am a good girl! I do what I am supposed to do! I am going to get all the shots, even the recommended ones! I can’t stand the thought of having a big red X on my paperwork. It looks like I am refusing to do what is recommended. Here’s the problem: I am too young to be vaccinated for shingles and pneumonia. (Todd is also too young for the pneumonia vaccine.) You have to be 50 to be eligible for the shingles vaccine and 65 for the pneumonia vaccine. I will still be 49 when we enter the MTC! So, I had to decline both of those shots and it just made me sad. I even called our insurance to see if I could get them early and I was told no. This won’t keep me from the mission, but I don’t think it’s an issue they see too often. How many senior missionaries are under 50? What a nice problem to have! 😉
There was one other shot speedbump I came up against. Every 10 years you are supposed to have a Tdap booster shot. My 10 years for my current booster is up in October 2025, one year into our mission. Under the required shots, my file said I needed a booster to renew that 10 years before we left for the MTC. I called my insurance, they said I couldn’t have one early. I had previously asked the pharmacy if I could get this shot early and was told no. This day, I called the pharmacy again and explained the situation. Could I possibly get the Tdap booster a year and a half early? The pharmacist was super nice and told me that it is no problem for me to have it early, the insurance probably wouldn’t cover it, but we could pay for it out of pocket. Great!
Todd had me go over immediately so I could work with the pharmacist I had talked to on the phone. When I was checking in at the pharmacy, the tech said that I am not eligible for the booster for another year and a half so I couldn’t have it. (Insert an eye roll here.) But, the pharmacist was there and she took over. She was happy to give me the shot and she even tried to see if my insurance would cover it and, guess what? They did! (We didn’t question it 😉 She explained that after 5 years a person can have another Tdap booster, the 10 years thing isn’t a hard rule.
I was able to check the Tdap booster box on my immunization page and a green checkmark came up that is much prettier than that red X! (Also, it took a whole week for my arm to stop hurting after that booster. It was a doozy.)