Occupational Vaccination Services

Kays Medical

Occupational Vaccination Services

Some jobs bring workers into close contact with a range of different disease-causing pathogens that the general public would not encounter. These are occupational risks that are addressed through occupational vaccination. Employers and employees both bear responsibility for ensuring that occupational immunisation is pursued to an adequate standard.

 

The most significant example of occupations vulnerable to particular diseases is that of health, social care and blue light workers. This includes nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, paramedic, police, fire and virtually anyone working in a care or blue light capacity. These people are vulnerable to a whole body of different diseases, and moreover, they can potentially transmit these diseases to vulnerable populations if not immunised. Other examples of workplaces where there is a risk of carrying or transmitting infection include laboratory workers who come into close contact with samples harbouring potentially dangerous pathogens that would not be a concern in the wider world. In these cases, safety procedures are extremely important, and where necessary, employers and employees are responsible for determining whether vaccinations are necessary.

 

There are a number of different occupational diseases that pose a risk to employees in the UK, and these include diseases like tuberculosis (often abbreviated to TB), measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (chickenpox), hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, Hib, and polio.

 

It is an employer’s responsibility to assess the potential risk of exposure to these diseases and meet the necessary responsibilities under the COSHH regulations. Employers are also legally obliged to provide their employees with any information or training they need to minimise their exposure to disease. It is down to the employee to make sure that they abide by safety regulations and follow any immunisation instructions.

 

Kays Medical can help employers identify, document and meet their employee immunisation needs.

The Department of Health has identified various occupational groups are at an increased risk of exposure to blood-borne viruses and recommends that they be immunised against Hepatitis B vaccine (HBV). At risk groups tend to include:

 

  • Laboratory staff handling biological material that may be contaminated with BBV
  • Staff of residential and other accommodation for those with learning difficulties
  • Most health care staff and those handling cadavers and other human remains, such as anatomical pathology technologists (APTs), funeral directors, embalmers and pathologists
  • Prison service staff in regular contact with inmates
  • Certain members of the emergency frontline services, such as the police, ambulance and fire and rescue services.

Kays medical can provide appropriate vaccination against HBV following the nationally prescribed schedule, plus the necessary immunisation assurance blood test.

Kays Medical can also provide support to complete the necessary (COSHH Biological) risk assessment that supports the requirement for immunisation against Hep B.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/blood-borne-viruses/hepatitis-b-vaccination.htmhttp://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg342.pdf

There is an association between exposure to metal fume and pneumonia and infectious pneumonia, particularly lobar pneumonia and between welding and invasive pneumococcal disease. PPV (single 0.5 ml dose in those who have not received PPV previously) should be considered for those at risk of frequent or continuous occupational exposure to metal fumes (e.g. welders), taking into account the exposure control measures in place. Vaccination may reduce the risk of invasive pneumococcal disease but should not replace the need for measures to prevent or reduce exposure.

It is estimated that breathing metal fume at work leads to 40–50 welders each year being hospitalised due to any form of pneumonia. About two of these patients die each year from the disease.

While COSHH risk control measures must be taken by employers to reduce fume exposure encountered during welding, burning and grinding activities, vaccination can be an appropriate further, or interim, step to manage the residual risk to a worker still exposed to welding or metal fume becoming more susceptible to pneumonia.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/eis44.pdf

Influenza is an acute viral infection of the respiratory tract. There are three types of influenza virus: A, B and C. Influenza A and B are responsible for most clinical illness. Influenza is highly infectious with a usual incubation period of one to three days.

Flu vaccine is the best protection we have against an unpredictable virus that can cause unpleasant illness in children and severe illness and death among at-risk groups, including older people, pregnant women and those with an underlying medical health condition. Studies have shown that the flu vaccine will help prevent you getting the flu. It won’t stop all flu viruses and the level of protection may vary, so it’s not a 100% guarantee that you’ll be flu-free, but if you do get flu after vaccination it’s likely to be milder and shorter-lived than it would otherwise have been. There is also evidence to suggest that the flu vaccine can reduce your risk of having a stroke.

Over time, protection from the injected flu vaccine gradually decreases and flu strains often change. So new flu vaccines are produced each year, which is why people advised to have the flu vaccine need it every year too.

The disease process is characterised by the sudden onset of fever, chills, headache, myalgia and extreme fatigue. Other common symptoms include a dry cough, sore throat and stuffy nose. For otherwise healthy individuals, influenza is an unpleasant but usually self-limiting disease with recovery usually within two to seven days. The illness may be complicated by (and may present as) bronchitis, secondary bacterial pneumonia or, in children, otitis media. Influenza can be complicated more unusually by meningitis, encephalitis or meningoencephalitis. The risk of serious illness from influenza is higher amongst children under six months of age (Poehling et al., 2006; Ampofo et al., 2006; Coffin et al., 2007; Zhou et al, 2012), older people (Thompson et al., 2003 and 2004; Zhou et al, 2012) and those with underlying health conditions such as respiratory or cardiac disease, chronic neurological conditions, or immunosuppression and pregnant women.

Influenza immunisation as noted helps to prevent influenza, there is also evidence that particularly in healthcare staff, its likely to reduce the transmission of influenza to vulnerable patients. Influenza vaccination is therefore recommended for healthcare workers directly involved in patient care, who should be offered influenza immunisation on an annual basis. In other work settings having a flu vaccination is likely to help prevent the spread of flu in that employee population and reduce associated absenteeism.

The best time to have a flu vaccine is in the autumn, from the beginning of October to end of November.

When travelling abroad for work, employers have a duty to ensure their employees are protected where possible against disease process endemic to the point of travel.

Whilst Kays Medical have their own local Pharmacies that can provide travel advice and Vaccinations in the Liverpool conurbation, they have equally partnered with MASTA a trusted and respected travel medicine specialist. MASTAs clinical team constantly monitor disease situations and outbreaks across the world, bringing together health information from many sources. The result is that the Travel Health Brief / Risk Assessment is widely recognised as an invaluable tool both to medical professionals and employees alike, ensuring employees are appropriately vaccinated / protected against endemic and communicable disease where appropriate.

The Travel Health Brief provided for each individual traveller ensures they are fully aware of the additional health risks of travelling to their destinations.

When travelling abroad for work, employers have a duty to ensure their employees are protected where possible against disease process endemic to the point of travel.

Whilst Kays Medical have their own local Pharmacies that can provide travel advice and Vaccinations in the Liverpool conurbation, they have equally partnered with MASTA a trusted and respected travel medicine specialist. MASTAs clinical team constantly monitor disease situations and outbreaks across the world, bringing together health information from many sources. The result is that the Travel Health Brief / Risk Assessment is widely recognised as an invaluable tool both to medical professionals and employees alike, ensuring employees are appropriately vaccinated / protected against endemic and communicable disease where appropriate.

The Travel Health Brief provided for each individual traveller ensures they are fully aware of the additional health risks of travelling to their destinations.

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