Immunisation and infection control requirements

Medical School guidance requires that all students meet the immunisation and infection control standards required for new NHS healthcare workers.  An appointment in Occupational Health (OH) is arranged for all pre-clinical and CGC medical students at the commencement for their training to ensure that they meet the necessary standards for all healthcare workers.

Attendance for immunisation is not optional – you are required to do so as part of your duties as a medical student in accordance with the University of Cambridge’s medical student hand book

Bloodborne viruses and other infectious diseases

All students are offered testing for bloodborne viruses on entry to the course information relating to the testing of these virsues can be found here

Hepatitis B

All prospective medical students are advised to have at least two doses of hepatitis B vaccine prior to admission to the University of Cambridge – this is because once you commence training the academic timetable is so busy it can be difficult for students to attend appointments.  Commencing immunisation prior to entry therefore avoids leaving lectures to attend immunisation appointments.  If however, you are unable to obtain or complete the course of immunisation prior to entry, this will be done by Occupational Health once you start at Cambridge. Regardless, on commencement of training, hepatitis B vaccination history and immunisation status will be confirmed and a blood test taken for hepatitis B antibodies and hepatitis B surface antigen.

Hepatitis C

All students will be offered a blood test for hepatitis C antibodies on admission to medical school.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

All students will be offered a blood test for HIV antibodies on admission to medical school.

Any student with a positive bloodborne virus test result will be referred in confidence to the Consultant Occupational Physician for a further confidential assessment and advice.

Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV)

In the absence of a definite history of chickenpox or shingles a blood test will be taken for VZV to determine the student's immune status. Students who have spent their childhood in tropical climates will also need a VZV blood test to ensure immunity; a verbal history is inadequate.

Rubella

Although documented evidence of rubella vaccination is deemed proof of immunity, for student regional and overseas placements serology evidence is often needed. Where the student has no authenticated laboratory report showing rubella immunity, a blood test will be performed and if negative one dose of MMR vaccination offered with no further serology test.

Measles

All students will need to show documentary proof of two MMR vaccinations or serological evidence of immunity to measles from an authenticated laboratory.

Tuberculosis (TB)

All students should have evidence of BCG vaccination either by a visible BCG scar or documented proof that includes the date the vaccine was given, the vaccine batch number and the signature of the health professional who administered the vaccine.  Unless contraindicated, the vaccination will be recommended to students with no immunisation history on commencement of their medical training.

All new entrants who have been living or working overseas for more than three months in a high incidence TB counrty, will be offered an interferon gamma test.  A high-incidence country is defined as a country with more than 40 cases per 100,000 per year; these are listed by the Health Protection Agency – go to www.hpa.org.uk and search for 'WHO country data TB'.