WAC 296-823-13005   Make hepatitis B vaccination available to employees.  

     Exemption:

     • You are not required to provide the hepatitis B vaccination series to employees who meet any of the following:

     – The employee has previously received the complete hepatitis B vaccination series

     – An antibody test has revealed that the employee is immune to hepatitis B

     – There are medical reasons not to give the vaccine.

     • You are not required to provide the hepatitis B vaccination series to employees assigned to provide first aid only as a secondary duty, when you do all of the following:

     – Make hepatitis B vaccination available to all unvaccinated first-aid providers who render assistance in any situation involving the presence of blood or OPIM.

     ▪ Vaccination must be made available as soon as possible, but no later than twenty-four hours after the incident.

     – Provide a reporting procedure that ensures all first-aid incidents that involve the presence of blood or OPIM are reported before the end of the work shift

     – Document first-aid incidents that involve blood or OPIM, include at least:

     ▪ The names of all first-aid providers who rendered assistance

     ▪ The time and date of the first-aid incident

     ▪ A description of the first-aid incident.

     • Make sure that the hepatitis B vaccination series is available to all employees who have occupational exposure and that it is:

     – Available at no cost to the employee

     – Available to the employee at a reasonable time and location

     – Administered by or under the supervision of a licensed physician or by another licensed healthcare professional

     – Provided according to recommendations of the United States Public Health Service that are current at the time these evaluations and procedures take place

     – Available to any employee who initially declines the vaccination but later decides to accept it while they are still covered by this chapter

     – Made available after the employee has received training required by this chapter and within ten working days of initial assignment.

     Link:

     You can find more information about the United States Public Health Service recommendations for hepatitis B vaccination at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/b/index.htm.

     You must:

     • Make sure participation in a prevaccination screening program for antibody status is not a condition for receiving hepatitis B vaccination.

     • Make sure that all laboratory tests are conducted by a laboratory licensed by the state or Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (Act) (CLIA).

     • Make sure employees who decline the hepatitis B vaccination, offered by you, sign a form with this statement:


     "I understand that due to my occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials I may be at risk of acquiring hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. I have been given the opportunity to be vaccinated with hepatitis B vaccine, at no charge to myself. However, I decline hepatitis B vaccination at this time. I understand that by declining this vaccine, I continue to be at risk of acquiring hepatitis B, a serious disease. If in the future I continue to have occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials and I want to be vaccinated with hepatitis B vaccine, I can receive the vaccination series at no charge to me."


     Helpful tool:

     Sample declination form:

     The declination form can help you document employees who have declined the hepatitis B vaccine. You can find a copy of this form in the resource section of this chapter.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, and 49.17.060. 04-12-070, § 296-823-13005, filed 6/1/04, effective 9/1/04; 03-09-110, § 296-823-13005, filed 4/22/03, effective 8/1/03.]