Employees who have routine exposure to bloodborne pathogens (such as doctors,
nurses, first aid responders, etc) shall be offered the Hepatitis B vaccine
series at no cost to themselves unless they have previously received the vaccine
series, antibody testing has revealed they are immune, or the vaccine is contraindicated
for medical reasons, in which case they need not be offered the series.
Although the vaccine
must be offered to you by your employer, you do not have to accept that offer.
You may opt to decline the vaccination series, in which case you will be
asked to sign a declination form. Even if you decline the initial offer, you
may choose to receive the series at anytime during your employment thereafter,
for example, if your are exposed on the job at a later date.
As stated in the
Emergency Procedures section, if you are exposed
to blood or potentially infectious materials on the job, you may request a Hepatitis
B vaccination at that time. If the vaccine is administered immediately after exposure
it is extremely effective at preventing the disease.
The Hepatitis B
vaccination is given in a series of three shots. The second shot is given one
month after the first, and the third shot follows five months after the second.
This series gradually builds up the body's immunity to the Hepatitis B virus.
The vaccine itself is made from yeast cultures; there is no danger of contracting
the disease from getting the shots, and, once vaccinated, a person does not need
to receive the series again. There are booster shots available, however, and in
some instances these may be recommended (for example, if there is an outbreak
of Hepatitis B at a particular location).
This
is the end of the Bloodborne Pathogens Training Module. Click here to take the
Quiz.
