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Health care providers are at risk of exposure to communicable diseases in the workplace.
Many diseases can be prevented with vaccination. Getting vaccinated helps protect your health and prevents disease transmission between you and your patients, and between you and your family and friends.
The vaccines recommended are diphtheria and tetanus, polio, hepatitis B, measles,
mumps and rubella (MMR), varicella,and influenza.
Diphtheria and tetanus, polio, MMR, varicella, and influenza vaccines are publicly
funded for health care providers.
Immunization of employees is the responsibility of the Occupational Health department or assigned staff in the workplace. The employer and employee should keep all records of laboratory test results and any immunizations given.
Immunization against diphtheria and tetanus is recommended for all adults in Canada. Booster doses with tetanus/diphtheria (Td) are recommended every 10 years, or sooner in the event of a bite or wound other than a clean, minor wound.
Immunization with inactivated poliomyelitis vaccine (IPV) is recommended for all health care workers who may be exposed to poliovirus and have not been immunized. Booster doses are not required for health care providers in Canada.
Diphtheria is a serious communicable disease, causing death in five to10 per cent of cases, with the highest rates among the very young and the elderly.
Tetanus is an acute and often fatal disease. While rare in Canada, cases have been reported that are associated with contaminated injection drug use, animal bites and wounds.
Measles: To be considered protected against measles, health care providers born after 1956 should have proof of two measles vaccinations, documentation of physician-diagnosed measles, or a lab test result indicating immunity. Those born before 1957 have probably had measles disease and are therefore considered immune.
Measles is a highly contagious disease that can be more severe in infants, children and adults who have weakened immune systems.
Mumps: Individuals are considered protected against mumps infection if they were born before 1970, have proof of one dose of mumps vaccine, lab test result indicating immunity, or laboratory-confirmed mumps disease in the past. Mumps is generally a mild disease; however, complications such as encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) are more common in adults.
Rubella: Individuals are considered protected against rubella infection if they have proof of one dose of rubella vaccine, or a lab test result indicating immunity.
Rubella infection in adults may cause swelling and pain in the joints. Infections in the first three months of pregnancy have an 85 per cent risk of causing severe damage to a developing baby. Rubella outbreaks in health care facilities are of particular concern due to the potential spread to pregnant health care providers and patients.
Two doses of MMR vaccine are provided free to health care workers.
Hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for health care providers who may be exposed to blood or body fluids through needle stick or other similar injuries, bites, or non-intact skin. All health care providers who experience a potential exposure to hepatitis B virus should consult their Occupational Health department for screening and testing, and measures to prevent the spread of disease.
Individuals are considered immune if they have completed a series of hepatitis B vaccine, and have a lab test result indicating immunity. Persons who do not develop immunity (non-responders) to an initial vaccine series should be offered a second series of vaccine. To check for immunity, testing for antibodies should be done one to six months after completion of the vaccine series.
Varicella vaccine is provided to health care providers who do not have protection against chickenpox disease. Evidence of protection against varicella infection includes a self-reported history or physician-diagnosed varicella disease or herpes zoster (shingles), a lab test result indicating immunity, or documentation of two doses of vaccine.
Varicella (chickenpox) infection tends to be more severe in adults. Two doses of vaccine given one month apart are required.
Annual influenza vaccine is provided to health care providers. All health care providers are at risk of getting and passing on the influenza virus to their families, friends, and patients. It is important to prevent disease transmission to persons at high risk of influenza-related complications, such as those with cardiac or pulmonary disorders, weakened-immune systems, other chronic medical conditions, and the elderly.
Influenza vaccination of health care providers has been shown to help reduce the illness and death of patients under their care in long-term settings and to reduce worker illness during the influenza season.
