All healthcare companies (Care homes, Hospital) must ensure that staff receive the immunisations that are appropriate for their role.
Immunising healthcare staff is necessary to:
You should be able to show that the practice has an effective employee immunisation programme. This includes demonstrating how you arrange this service. As well as this:
These assessments should include a review of their immunisation needs.
| Vaccine | Quantity | Schedule | Cost per dose |
|---|---|---|---|
| BCG (Tuberculosis) | 1 dose only | If indicated | - |
| Hepatitis B | 3 doses | 0, 1, 6 months | £50 |
| MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) | 2 doses | 0, 1 month | £50 |
| Varicella (Chickenpox) | 2 doses | 0, 1–2 months (if non-immune) | £60 |
| Influenza (Seasonal Flu) | 1 dose | Annually | - |
Everyone who has direct contact with patients should be up-to-date with routine immunisations including HEP B & MMR Vaccine. This includes reception staff and those who handle samples or need to clean up bodily fluids. The immunisations are to protect against:
Some staff may need further vaccinations for:
Full protection involves having 3 injections (3 doses: 0, 1 and 6 months) of the hepatitis B vaccine at the recommended intervals.If you’re a healthcare worker or you have kidney failure, you’ll have a follow-up appointment to see if you have responded to the vaccine. If you have been vaccinated by your employer’s occupational health service, you can request a blood test to see if you have responded to the vaccine.
Measles can be prevented with measles-containing vaccine, which is primarily administered as the combination measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. The combination measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV) vaccine can be used for children aged 12 months through 12 years for protection against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella. Single-antigen measles vaccine is not available. One dose of MMR vaccine is approximately 93% effective at preventing measles; two doses are approximately 97% effective.
MMR Vaccine does:
Adults who have not been vaccinated typically need at least one dose. Those in higher-risk professions or situations, such as healthcare workers, students, or international travelers, often require two doses given at least 28 days apart.
Protection of healthcare workers/nurses is especially important in the context of their ability to transmit measles or rubella infections to vulnerable groups. While they may need MMR vaccination for their own benefit, on the grounds outlined above, they also should be immune to measles and rubella for the protection of their patients.
Healthcare worker with unknown or incomplete vaccination histories. Healthcare worker/ nurses from developing countries will probably have received a measles-containing vaccine in their country of origin but may not have received mumps or rubella vaccines. Unless there is a reliable history of appropriate immunisation, individuals should be assumed to be unimmunised and the recommendations above should be followed.
People 6 months of age or older who will be traveling internationally should be protected against measles. Before traveling internationally,
Infants 6 through 11 months of age should receive one dose of MMR vaccine. Children 12 months of age or older should have documentation of two doses of MMR vaccine (the first dose of MMR vaccine should be administered at age 12 months or older; the second dose no earlier than 28 days after the first dose).
Teenagers and adults born during or after 1957 without evidence of immunity against measles should have documentation of two doses of MMR vaccine, with the second dose administered no earlier than 28 days after the first dose.
For more information about HEP B & MMR Vaccine, visit our website: www.fusionhealthcare.co.uk or call us at: 01582 249449
Our clinic address is:
Fusion Healthcare Ltd. 112 Leagrave Road, Luton, LU4 8HX. With free parking available.
Live vaccines like MMRV should not be given on the same day as BCG at the same site, and if not given the same day, they should be spaced at least 4 weeks apart.
MMRV (Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella) and Hepatitis B vaccines can generally be given on the same day, according to UK guidance.
Here’s the breakdown:
