Hepatitis Titer?

I received my three dose Hepatitis vaccine when I was younger. Recently, I needed a physical with lab work. The instructions said to have a Hepatitis titer drawn if you received the vaccination 1-6 months ago. Well I didn't read this until after I got the blood work done ( the nurse had the form) and then it was too late. Are my results going to be falsely low or high since its been a lot longer than 6 months since I was vaccinated?? Any information on this titer would be greatly appreciated!

I too had to have a titre done for nursing, and although I have had the Hep A and B vaccination series TWICE (in the last 30 years), my blood work showed that I did not have sufficient antibodies needed to prevent infection. All I had to do was get a booster shot and then repeat the titre two months later. The second set of lab values showed that I was protected. There are many variables that can affect how long a vaccine is good for in your body, and the immunization guidelines basically reflect a "worst case scenario". Titres are just an insurance policy to make sure you're protected. Hope this helps

I just had my titer done for college - and it will not give you a false reading. Depending on how long it has been, you may need a booster vaccine to keep your titer up. Boosters are generally recommended at the age of 11 or roughly ten years after the first series due to the institutional nature of school. According to Medicinenet.com vaccines are only necessary in the following situations: "Who should receive the hepatitis B vaccine?

Hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for:

All infants
Adolescents under 18 years of age who did not receive hepatitis B vaccine as infants
People occupationally exposed to blood or body fluids
Residents and staff of institutions for the developmentally disabled
Patients receiving kidney hemodialysis
Hemophiliacs and other patients receiving clotting factor concentrates
Household contacts and sex partners of hepatitis B infected patients (patients who test positive for hepatitis B surface antigen)
Travelers who will spend more than 6 months in regions with high hepatitis infection rates
Injection drug users and their sex partners
Men who have sex with men, men or women with multiple sex partners, or recent infection with a sexually transmitted infection
Inmates of long-term correctional facilities
How often should the hepatitis B vaccine be administered?

Hepatitis B vaccines should be given in three doses, with the second dose 1-2 months after dose 1, and the third dose 4-6 months after dose 1.

For best results the vaccinations should be given in the deltoid muscles, not in the buttocks.

If the three-dose schedule is interrupted, it is acceptable to just complete all 3 doses later; it is not necessary to start over"

The titer itself tests the level of reaction of your immune system. Your immune system has a limited "memory" and will not respond as strongly to a stimulus (such as a virus) that it does not routinely see or has not seen recently. Therefore your titer may be low, but you will have a limited level of immunity. Depending on what you need the vaccine/titer for you may need a booster to mount a significant immune response. I myself needed a booster to enter the college program because my titer was too low since I didn't get my booster when I was younger.

Titers are accurate, it just may mean you need a booster dose to prove that you have significant immunity.