Compulsory vaccinations against COVID-19? It is not a new thing for doctors, but another vaccination

As announced yesterday by the government, on March 1, 2022, vaccination against COVID-19 will be mandatory for selected professional groups. In addition to teachers and uniformed services, it is also to apply to healthcare professionals. However, compulsory vaccinations are not new to this group. In order to be able to practice their profession, doctors have been vaccinated for a long time. Which of them are compulsory?

1. Compulsory vaccinations in Poland apply not only to children and adolescents
2. They are also subject to, inter alia, people at risk of infection due to clinical or epidemiological reasons 
3. They include doctors and other healthcare professionals, as well as medical students
4. The most important compulsory vaccination for them is vaccination against hepatitis B
5. More information can be found on the Onet homepage

Mandatory vaccinations in Poland

The list of compulsory vaccinations is included in the calendar of preventive vaccinations, which is updated every year. They are divided into:

1. compulsory vaccinations for children and adolescents according to age, 
2. compulsory vaccinations for people particularly at risk of infection due to clinical or epidemiological reasons 
3. post-exposure vaccination (administered most often as a result of contact with the disease carrier or the pathogen itself.

Doctors need to get vaccinated against hepatitis B

According to the list, doctors are required to be vaccinated against hepatitis B. It is a disease that can lead to cirrhosis of the liver and even the development of malignant tumors. The virus that causes HBV can be infected through contact with body fluids or the blood of the host.

This is because the infection most often occurs in medical facilitiesfor example, during blood collection or transfusion, dialysis, transplantation, endoscopic examinations or a visit to the dentist, during drilling or scaling. HBV can also be infected in other places where procedures are performed with the use of a needle and similar disposable medical devices, e.g. beauty and hairdressing salons or tattoo shops. Infection through sexual intercourse is also possible.

Newborns are already vaccinated against hepatitis B. It is one of the first vaccinations that a child undergoes while still in hospital, in the maternity ward. The first dose is given within 24 hours of birth, the second dose is given when you are 2 months old, and the third dose is given when you are 7 months old.

Compulsory vaccination against hepatitis B also applies to other people. They include doctors and other healthcare professionals:

1. students of medical schools or other schools providing medical education who have not been vaccinated against hepatitis B;
2. students of medical universities or other universities providing medical education who have not been vaccinated against hepatitis B;
3. healthcare professionals at risk of infection who have not been vaccinated against hepatitis B;
4. people at high risk of infection as a result of contact with a person infected with hepatitis B, who have not been vaccinated against hepatitis B;
5. people infected with the hepatitis C virus;
6. people with advanced kidney disease with glomerular filtration less than 30 ml / min and people on dialysis.

The administration of three doses of the vaccine is required on the 0-1-6 month schedule. According to the National Institute of Public Health PZH – National Research Institute, “effectively immunized against hepatitis B are people who have received a complete vaccination course (three doses for adults) and responded to them with specific antibodies, by which we mean anti-HBs concentration. in serum ≥10 IU / ml 1-2 months after primary vaccination or booster dose ».

The rest of the text is below the video.

What else do doctors have to vaccinate on?

As part of the compulsory post-exposure vaccinations, medics must be vaccinated against three diseases: diphtheria, tetanus and rabies.. Such vaccination should occur immediately after exposure to the pathogen responsible for the infection. In the case of diphtheria – after contact with a person suffering from this disease, tetanus – when there is an injury with a risk of bacterial infection (tetanus), rabies – if the doctor has been in contact with an animal that is sick or suspected to be infected with rabies virus (RABV – Rabies virus). These vaccinations are obligatory for all people who have had contact with the microorganism, not only doctors.

From March 1, 2022, vaccination against COVID-19 will be added to the list of mandatory vaccinations for medics and other health care professionals. Work is underway on a relevant act regulating this issue.

More about the new rules: Mandatory vaccinations for healthcare professionals, teachers and military personnel

Vaccinations recommended for medics

In addition to compulsory vaccinations, doctors should also consider vaccinations for the most common diseases with which patients come to them, especially seasonal ones. It is primarily a flu vaccine, which is recommended due to epidemiological reasons, among others students and students of medical schools and universities or other schools and universities providing education in medical faculties and health care workers (medical staff, regardless of their specialization, and administrative staff).

1. Also read: Flu vaccine free for all adults. How to sign up? [WE EXPLAIN]

These groups are also recommended to be vaccinated against chickenpox, meningococci and measles, mumps and rubella. Medical workers, in particular in infectious, gastroenterological and pediatric departments, vaccination against hepatitis A is also recommendedand medical personnel, especially in contact with newborns and infants, also against diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough. All recommendations apply to people who have not been vaccinated before or who have expired protection (in the case of certain diseases).

Read also:

1. Will the new restrictions improve the epidemic situation in Poland? The virologist answers
2. A Medical Council expert assessed the new restrictions: dead regulations
3. What’s next for the COVID-19 pandemic? Minister Niedzielski: forecasts are not optimistic

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