Which vaccinations are the most important for health care professionals?

Hepatitis B is a major occupational infection to be immunized against, since it is the most infectious blood-borne pathogen and can be readily transmitted in health care settings via accidental exposure to blood. Hepatitis B virus is the microbial organism that was used to develop the universal and current standard infection control precautions. It is a widespread infection throughout the world and presents major occupational risks for unprotected dental and medical professionals. The vaccine, which was first introduced in 1982, has been well received by health care professionals. As a result of the vaccine’s success, along with improved infection control precautions, the incidence of hepatitis B in dental and medical health care workers has dropped precipitously. Hepatitis B vaccination is now required for all health care professionals.  

Another important immunization is the influenza vaccine. This is an annual vaccine administered to protect against highly infectious airborne pathogens. Influenza is a very acute infection that can severely affect people for five to seven days with multiple symptoms, including severe muscle aches, fever, headaches, raspy cough, and a general run-down feeling. People don’t realize just how common the flu is, and as a result, they don’t treat it with the same seriousness as other diseases. This vaccine is typically injected, although a more recently developed version can be administered as a nose spray.

The injected influenza vaccine contains components of three inactivated viruses. The vaccine virus strains are initially grown in chick embryo cultures, then harvested, inactivated, and split into components. There isn’t any intact virus¬¬––live or inactivated––in the vaccine preparation. It takes about four to six weeks to develop very high-levels of antibody that are specific for the strains of influenza circulating in the population that year. Health care, including dental professionals, are at very high risk of exposure to people with undiagnosed cases of influenza, and therefore are among the groups highly recommended for vaccination.

Influenza virus is very efficiently spread person-to-person by aerosols, such those from sneezing and coughing. It can also be spread through direct contact with contaminated hands, which makes proper hand hygiene integral to preventing influenza transmission. Using the correct barrier protection, i.e., gloves; the appropriate hand hygiene agent; maintaining healthy, intact skin; keeping nails short with smooth edges; and utilizing an effective handwashing protocol are all key to reducing the risk of infection.