Starting a job as a CO thoughts on Vax?

[Mommy2Austin]

I'm applying for a job as a Corrections Officer in the coming week. I was fully vaxed as a child and have all my records. I do NOT vax my kids (ODS had Hep B vax at birth but no others and YDS has had none.) DH is already a Corrections Officer.

If you were in my position would you make sure your Hep B as well as Tetanus were up-to-date? I keep going back and forth because I do not like vaccinations, but working in a place with a significantly increased chance of contracting either of those I don't want to take the chance of getting either and possibly spreading it to my family.

WWYD?

[KimPM]

Well, if you actually contract tetanus, you won't be spreading it to your family, it's not transmissible like that. The concern there is that you could be in the hospital recovering for a long time...or in the worst case you wouldn't be around anymore to care for your family. This could happen if you sustained a wound that harbored tetanus, and that wound was not treated. However, should you sustain a wound that could harbor tetanus, then you can go to the ER immediately (assuming someone can cover the rest of your shift due to emergency) and get a dose of TIG, not the vax. Just be aware that TIG is a human blood product.

Since you have not been vaxed for tetanus in the past 10 years you would likely be offered/arm-twisted into a tetanus vax booster in the ER.

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

me PERSONALLY, since I question the overall effectiveness of vaccines in the first place, I really wouldnt see the point.

[Marnica]

I wouldn't get either of those if I were in your shoes.

[Mommy2Austin]

Silly me! I knew about not being able to spread tetanus. I was more worried about the hep b because I will more than likely come into contact with that. Thanks for the insight.

I'm posting from my Wii so I hope it makes sense!

[Jen_in_NH]

I'm probably going to be in the minority, but working in the jail, I would get the Hep B series. It's pretty easy to be exposed to blood there, and not always possible to grab gloves and such quickly. I work for the fire department, and got the Hep B shots for the same reasons. It's a bloodbourne pathogen, and I can't always protect myself from being exposed to blood, nor can I guarantee the hepatitis status of the person who is bleeding.

I wouldn't get my kids vaccinated for Hep B simply because of where I work. I make sure I take a shower and get clean clothes before coming home to my son, so not likely to expose him.

I probably wouldn't worry as much about tetanus. No good reason, just a gut feeling.

[bobandjess99]

I would probably consider the hep B series. i think that the risk/benefit ratio on that one is going to be potentially worth it, given the likelihood you will contact hep b in the prison. All it takes is one brawl where you get scratched......but at the same time,it's a grueling series. It would be a hard choice for me. Uh..no on the tetanus.

[luminesce]

I'd do the HepB series. This is one situation where the benefit would outweigh the risk for me.

I wouldn't worry about Tetanus too much, especially if you completed the primary series as a kid and had a booster within even the last 20-30 years.

[Mommy2Austin]

Thanks so much everyone!

I'm only 22 (going on 23) so I'm pretty sure most of them are still considered current, but if not I'll probably forget about the Tetanus and just look at the Hep B series/booster.