Posted By rjhills
A couple of years ago, an organisation I was with had problems with sharps,(needles left by drug addicts in premises being cleaned by company staff).
We consulted with the NHS and Env. Health, and were advised that, on the subject of staff protection, we were obliged to let staff know of risks, along with training for dealing with hazops.
We were informed, on the position of vaccination, that we should provide emergency procedures for staff to follow in the event of accidental exposure to needles.
All staff were made aware of these procedures, which involve emergency visit to A&E.
We were informed however, that persons could refuse to accept treatment, and that educationof the risks/risk assessment procedures, (with written/signed records of persons intentions) would be "a good idea".
Any vaccination policy cannot just be put in place. It is first necessary to highlight the risk to employees, with vaccination education designed to educate staff on how they can look after their own health.
We put in place the reccomended measures, and since then have had only 3 cases of accidental contact. All cases responded and contacted local A&E, because they were aware it was for their benefit.
As a result, no-one has contracted Hepititis.
I hope this can shed light.
NHS advice was that we cannot force anyone to have an injection against their will.
We have successfully managed the hazards posed to staff through information and training.
RJHills

Posted By jackw.
Hi, I work in LA and we have similar risks. You can't force people to have treatment of any kind. Record that it has been offered and employees have declined. Education of the risks is important but good procedures in identifying high-risk areas and taking reasonable precautions. For example putting in lighting in toilets that prevents users from picking out a vain to inject etc. is good practice as is proper instruction and the supply of retrieval kits for picking up discarded needles. Remember too that there is no effective vaccine against Hep C, which is the big growth area amongst addicts or HIV etc. Really Only Hep B that has an effective vaccine.

Posted By John Murgatroyd
I read this with suppressed hysteria, barely.
Lets see, with the use of threats you are going to force an unwilling person to be injected with a substance that, with all the best of intentions, does NOT protect against hep A in AT LEAST 40% of those injected and STILL needs back-up injections every 6 to 8 months.
I think that you are looking at major legal problems here.
You NEED to do a search for info on this before you shoot yourselves in the foot.
Look at the KNOWN side effects of this "vaccine" first.
Look at the people it WON'T protect.
Look at the facts behind the effects of vaccination. "the flu vaccine protects against flu"....rubbish, and the known side effects also consist of sudden death.
The last "protective" vaccination I had was to protect me against Pneumonia (50 types of) along with septicaemia and meningitis....my arm was unuseable for 3 days with intense pain and has been weak since, with intense tingling and noticably colder than the right arm.
"it'll pass" was the comment...it hasn't yet.
Below, the blurb about hep A vaccine.
**************************************
Vaccination against hepatitis A
Warning!

Individuals who have a suppressed immune system, for example due to disease such as HIV infection, or treatment with immunosuppressant medicines such as chemotherapy or corticosteroids, may not produce an adequate immune response to this vaccine and additional doses may be required.
Individuals with kidney failure who are receiving haemodialysis may not produce an adequate immune response to this vaccine. Additional doses of vaccine may be required.
Each brand of this vaccine is licensed for use in a specific age group and should not be given to people outside this age range. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for further information.


Use with caution in
liver disease

Not to be used in:
Known sensitivity or allergy to any ingredient
Sudden feverish illness

This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy.


This medicine is not recommended for use in pregnancy unless considered essential by your doctor. Seek medical advice from your doctor.


The safety of this medicine during breastfeeding has not been established. Seek medical advice from your doctor.


Side effects

Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.
Nasal congestion
Disturbances of the gut such as diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain
Back pain
Inflammation of the throat (pharyngitis)
Pain in the joints (arthralgia)
Pain in the muscles (myalgia)
Soreness at injection site
Redness around injection site
Hardening of skin around injection site
Weakness or loss of strength (asthenia)
Upper airway infections
Disorders of the menstrual cycle
Headache
Loss of appetite
Fever (pyrexia)

The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer.

For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.
************************************

Posted By Aidan Toner
Hi -ya John we are'nt going to see eye-to eye on this one are we? You dont seem to be have given any creedence to the fact that the final outcome of a risk assessment may be that the worker can ONLY proceed safely with the control measure- vaccination.Yes the vaccination does not offer same level protection to everyone(acknowledged in my 1st letter),yes there are side affects,yes the protection afforded may be generally over estimated, yes one has to outline the suitability of the vaccination to the individual concerned.
AFTER ALL THAT-The decision to recommend a compulsory vaccination control for specific tasks/roles cannot be taken lightly( ie by a health and safety professional and a medical doctor)-Much more importantly, the decision to ACCEPT a vaccination(ie by the worker) cannot be taken lightly.--- This is a risk situation where employer OR employee dont want to be in.
BUT -They are!..
PS -John you may not believe this John, but my position on vaccination comes from someone who is generally sceptical about medical advances -that includes vaccinatiion.

Posted By John Murgatroyd
Hep A is rarely fatal.
The hospital recommends the staff have vaccinations, but they are not mandatory.
Instead of making staff have injections against diseases they are unlikely to contract, just in case they come into contact with it, you should put into place some other precautions first.
1: All health professionals are liars.
This has been proven time and time again.
They frequently lie to patients and regularly make wrong diagnoses and then prescribe the wrong medication in the wrong doses. That alone is a major cause of death in medical treatment.
Given a choice, I stay well away from doctors.
When I ask about side effects of drugs I'm prescribed, they tell me there are none, or very few. A MIMMS tells me different. Several times I have refused medication because it is contra-indicated in my case..
And you want to inject someone with something they probably don't need ?
Make sure you get them to sign a release accepting that all the consequences are on their own heads.
Accept this first, a lot of people come out of hospital dead. several tens of thousands a year die PURELY from medical treatment when the illness wouldn't have killed them.
(as an aside, 30% of people over 60 having a hip replacement procedure will die from side effects within one year) (many of the other will not regain mobility)
And you want to trust health professionals ?

Posted By Aidan Toner
Apologies for not having clarified that my comments sought to address the total range of vaccinations that are available to address workplace bacterial and viral infections.Vaccination will in certain situations be last in the heiarchy of controls and will require mandatory deployment by a caring employer.

Posted By Heather Aston
John

Sorry to go off topic, but where do you get the evidence for this statement "30% of people over 60 having a hip replacement procedure will die from side effects within one year"

In a study reported to the DoH in 2000 by the Royal College of Surgeons and the British Orthopaedic Association involving around 7000 hip replacement patients whose average age was 68 the mortality rate in the first three months was 0.7%. Full details of the 12 month follow-up aren't given in the published report, but since the questionnaire return rate at 12 months was 80.6% (it was only 85.1% at 3 months) I assume most of them survived.

Where do you get the evidence for this statement please?

Mine is at http://www.rcseng.ac.uk/...ications/pdf/hip_rep.pdf if anyone is interested.

Heather