Policy guidance

Departments must have in place arrangements to notify Occupational Health of new work or teaching activities where a risk assessment identifies vaccination as a control measure. Occupational Health will require advance warning of when the activity will commence and the numbers of individuals involved.

• Work with biological agents: Occupational Health should be notified of new work via the risk assessment review procedures for such work. Refer to Safety Department web pages: Biological Agents Risk Assessment Form
• Student overseas study trips or taught fieldwork: The Course Organiser must inform Occupational Health at the planning stage of any trips outside northern or central Europe, North America or Australasia. 
• Teaching activity: The Course Organiser should ensure Occupational Health is informed at the planning stage of any new courses or study modules for which vaccination of students will be required e.g. contact with hospital patients, project work involving use of unscreened human blood, serum or unfixed tissue specimens.

Vaccination requirements should be established and agreed with the College Occupational Health Physician during the risk assessment and approval procedure for such work. This is normally achieved through the risk assessment process for work with Biological Agents as described above.  

1. In most instances, only individuals involved in direct handling of material which poses risk of infection will need to be vaccinated. However, where the risk to others who may be present in the laboratory is considered great enough that they should also be vaccinated the P.I. or person in charge of the work must ensure that all at risk are informed of the vaccination recommendations.
2. All staff and students involved in the project should complete a Biological Agents Questionnaire and send this to Occupational Health.
3. After receiving a questionnaire, Occupational Health will notify the individual and their principal investigator/line manager if the individual needs to attend Occupational Health  for vaccination. The individual should then contact Occupational Health to make an appointment.
4. Completing the questionnaire:

• NEW STAFF Occupational Health can be notified that the person will work with biological agents using the Job Hazard section of the contract request form. Occupational Health will then contact the person with instructions for completing the Biological Agents Questionnaire. Once this is received by the OH Service the person will be instructed to make an appointment for vaccination if needed
• EXISTING STAFF should be instructed to download the Biological Agents Questionnaire from Occupational Health web pages, complete this and send it to Occupational Health RESEARCH STUDENTS should be instructed to download a Biological Agents Questionnaire, complete this and send it to Occupational Health.
• UNDERGRADUATE or TAUGHT POST-GRADUATE STUDENTS selecting a project for which Biological Agents Questionnaire immunisation is recommended should complete and send in a as soon as their project has been confirmed

The need for vaccinations should be determined as part of the risk assessment that should be completed for all overseas travel. For general advice on travel vaccinations see Travel Advice and Vaccinations. Occupational Health can be contacted for more specific advice if necessary.

1. Individuals should complete a Travel Health Clearance questionnaire prior to arranging any appointment for travel Immunisations, see Travel Health Clearance for details.
2. Travel clinic appointments should whenever feasible be made at least one month in advance of the time of travel to ensure vaccination schedules can be completed before travel.
3. Course organisers of undergraduate and postgraduate taught courses must inform Occupational Health before the start of the academic year of overseas field trips involving more than 10 individuals and for which travel vaccinations will be recommended.
4. Student-led overseas activities: Occupational Health can advise on what vaccinations and other health precautions are recommended for officially recognised student-led activities, but is unable to administer vaccinations. Advice should be sought at the planning stage so that students are aware of the costs of vaccinations etc.
5. Summer Placements:  Where students arrange independent work or study experiences overseas and specific procedures such as TB, Blood Borne Virus and Drug and Alcohol screening form part of a host organisation’s entry requirements Occupational Health will offer these directly to students at cost.

1. Staff who will be involved in patient care or who require NHS health clearance to work in or visit health care institutions should complete a Clinical and Childcare Worker Health Questionnaire‌ and arrange a health clearance appointment with the Occupational Health. They should bring to the appointment any documentary evidence of prior vaccinations or tests of immunity.
2. Undergraduate medical students – Immunisation clinics are arranged in conjunction with the Faculty of Medicine Education Office on commencement of each intake. 
   
3. Biomedical Science undergraduates and Postgraduates who will have clinical contact with patients should complete a Clinical Clearance for Students questionnaire and arrange a health clearance appointment with Occupational Health, as for staff, organisers of courses with clinical content must inform Occupational Health of new student numbers no later than September each year. For courses with intake of more than 10 students Occupational Health will arrange a special clinic to screen and vaccinate the students.
   
4. Early Years Education Staff have the same vaccination requirements as those who are involved in patient care (excluding Hepatitis B).

1. Staff and students involved in Influenza research projects are offered immunisation and arrangements are made directly with these groups. Immunisation is undertaken early in the “Flu season”.
2. Staff employed in roles identified as business critical, (Senior Management, Security, Early Years Educators, CBS, Security, Estates Maintenance, Wardens) are invited to attend a walk in Flu Clinic the arrangements for which are communicated directly with their management.

1. Where a person will need to attend more than one appointment to complete a vaccination schedule, Occupational Health will issue a single reminder to the individual when their next appointment is due.
2. Where periodic re-vaccination is necessary to maintain protection for work where vaccination is a mandatory control measure, Occupational Health will actively recall individuals when a booster dose is due.

1. Occupational Health will provide service users with confirmation that they have met immunisation requirements where vaccination or testing has been undertaken by Occupational Health.
2. Staff and students are responsible for providing proof of compliance with an immunisation requirement to their manager/supervisor/course organiser. Occupational Health can advise on appropriate standards of proof.
3. Occupational Health will inform principal investigators/course organisers/line managers of staff or student defaulting from a mandatory vaccination programme in which they have enrolled.
4. Organisers of courses for which NHS health clearance is required are responsible for ensuring students have completed health clearance requirements before allowing the student to have patient contact.

1. Vaccinations recommended as a control measure for work or for travel overseas on College business will be provided to staff and research students without charge.
2. Costs of vaccines provided to students for work under the direct control of College will be charged to the student’s department. 
3. Cost of vaccines provided to students for placements or for travel abroad will normally be charged directly to the student, unless the project supervisor/course organiser makes funds available for this purpose.
4. Occupational Health is not responsible for re-imbursement of expenses incurred for vaccinations and obtained from other providers unless arranged by Occupational Health.
   
   NB Occupational Health supply private prescriptions for malaria prophylaxis medication as part of it’s travel health service. Individuals will be charged the retail cost of the drugs by the pharmacy that dispenses the prescription. Staff and Research Students travelling on College business should be able to claim this from departmental or research funds as a legitimate expense. Reimbursement of other student's costs is discretionary.