* Do you feel that this immunisation is necessary for a midwife? Why/why not?
* Have any midwives, childbirth educators, doulas undertaken the Hep.B immunisation?
* Is there any alternative? Can I refuse? Is it mandatory for employment?
I would appreciate any comments.
There was a discussion about this on the uk midwifery list some time ago, and so I've searched the archives for what was said.
The need for midwives to be vaccinated for Hep B is a Dept of Health guidelines, but many Trusts apparantly enforce it as a rule. However, it is not mandatory and you can refuse, but, then of course, you may not be offered the placement I suppose.
I believe that most midwives are immunised against Hep B.
The rationale is that the NHS has a duty to it's patients not to expose them Hep B carriers - hence the reason for the guideline. This of course works the other way too, and they have a duty not to expose you to it either.
>From the discussion that arose on the ukmidwifery list, many midwives have come to an agreement with the trust that they do not require the vaccination, provided regular blood tests are taken to determine your Hep B status, check titre levels etc.
Hope this helps.
If you are thinking of going to the UK, you may like to join the UK midwifery group at www.yahoogroups.co.uk (the group is ukmidwifery).
Debbie Slater
Perth, WA
