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Exposure Control Plan-Hepatitis B Vaccination

III. HEPATITIS B VACCINATION

    A. ______________________ will provide training to employees on hepatitis B vaccinations, addressing the safety, benefits, efficacy, methods of administrations, and availability. The hepatitis B vaccination series will be made available at no cost after training and within 10 days of initial assignment to employees who have occupational exposure to blood or OPIM unless: 1) documentation exists that the employee has previously received the series, 2) antibody testing reveals that the employee is immune, or 3) medical evaluation shows that vaccination is contraindicated.

    B. However, if an employee chooses to decline vaccination, the employee must sign a declination form.  Employees who decline may request and obtain the vaccination at a later date at no cost.  Documentation of refusal of the vaccination is kept at______________________________________

    C. Vaccination will be provided by  (name and title)______________

    at _____________________________________(location)__________

    D. Following hepatitis B vaccinations, the health care professional's written opinion will be limited to whether the employee requires the hepatitis vaccine, and whether the vaccine was administered. 

Notes to Employer:

The exact language for the declination statement can be found in Appendix A of the bloodborne pathogens standard. Employees must sign a statement when declining the vaccination.

Participation in pre-screening must not be a prerequisite for receiving the vaccine.

Employees must not be required to waive liability in order to receive the vaccine.

Hepatitis B vaccine is to be provided even if an employee declines but later requests it.

Vaccine is to be given in accordance with US Public Health Service recommendations.

Booster doses must be made available to employees if recommended in the future by USPHS.

A copy of the health care professional's written opinion, stating whether hepatitis B vaccine is indicated and/or has been received, must be provided to the employee within 15 working days. (Page A-2, or alternate form, should be returned to the employee after the first dose of the vaccine, and updated after the third dose.)

If the schedule of vaccinations has been interrupted, the entire course does not need to be restarted. According to current US Public Health Service recommendations, vaccine doses administered at longer intervals (than the recommended schedule) provide equally satisfactory protection, but optimal protection is not conferred until after the third dose. If the vaccine series is interrupted after the first dose, the second and third doses should be given separated by an interval of 3-5 months. Persons who are late for the third dose should be given this dose when convenient. Post-vaccination testing is not considered necessary in either situation. These recommendations may be updated by the USPHS; call 404-332-4555 for current information. Reasonable effort should be made to vaccinate the employee on schedule, unless the employee declines vaccination.

 

 

 

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