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Right arrow Update: Mandatory Influenza Immunization for HCP
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The first 300 words of the full text of this section appear below.

Section 1. Active and Passive Immunization

Immunization in Special Clinical Circumstances

Health Care Personnel 29

Adults whose occupations place them in contact with patients with contagious diseases are at increased risk of contracting vaccine-preventable diseases and, if infected, transmitting them to their patients. All health care personnel should protect themselves and susceptible patients by receiving appropriate immunizations. Physicians, health care facilities, and schools for health care professionals should play an active role in implementing policies to maximize immunization of health care personnel. Vaccine-preventable diseases of special concern to people involved in the health care of children are as follows (see the disease-specific chapters in Section 3 for further recommendations).

  • Rubella. Outbreaks of rubella among health care personnel have been reported. Although the disease is mild in adults, the risk to a fetus necessitates documentation of rubella immunity in health care personnel of both sexes. People should be considered immune on the basis of a positive serologic test result for rubella antibody or documented proof of rubella immunization on or after the first birthday. A history of rubella disease is unreliable and should not be used in determining immune status. All susceptible people should be immunized with MMR and varicella vaccines before initial or continuing contact with pregnant patients.

  • Measles. Because measles in health care personnel has contributed to spread of this disease during outbreaks, evidence of immunity to measles should be required for health care personnel. Proof of immunity is established by physician-documented measles, a positive serologic test result for measles antibody, or documented receipt of 2 doses of live virus-containing measles vaccine, the first of which is given on or after the first birthday. Health care personnel born before 1957 generally have been considered immune to measles. However, because measles cases have occurred in health care personnel . . . [Go to Full Text]