bloodborne diseases
During the course of your work, you may encounter students who have certain diseases that are carried in the blood. We call them “bloodborne diseases.” They include various types of hepatitis and the HIV virus that causes AIDS. Casual contact with infected students — like speaking with them in class or touching them on the shoulder — won't pose any risk because germs must find their way into your bloodstream for infection to occur. However, if you come into contact with their blood and/or body fluids you may be at risk of exposure.
HEPATITIS
The bloodborne diseases of greatest concern are hepatitis B and C. Both
diseases are showing up in schools for several reasons, including more sexual
and drug activity among children and an increase in immigrant children from
countries where there are high rates of those diseases.
Many people are worried about “catching” HIV/AIDS, but hepatitis B and C are more concentrated in the bloodstream and body fluids of infected individuals and can survive out of the body for periods of one week or more — making them far easier to catch than HIV/AIDS. The Department of Education offers an effective hepatitis B vaccine to all school personnel who are likely to come into contact with contaminated blood and body fluids. Many paraprofessionals are included as “high risk” personnel.
Under city Health Department regulations, children born on or after Jan.
1, 1993 — the first graders, kindergarteners and pre-K pupils in the
1999-2000 school year — must be vaccinated against hepatitis B. Under
a law passed with UFT support, all children in New York State must recive
the hepatis B vaccine before enrolling in the 7th grade after Sept. 1, 2000.
Thus, within the next few years all of the students will be vaccinated, which
will reduce chances of exposure in the future.
What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is a virus causing an inflammation that destroys patches of liver tissue.
What are the different types?
They have been named “A” through “G.” “B” and “C” are the most prevalent and “D” through “G” are not a concern in our schools at this time. Hepatitis A is a “communicable” disease — not a“bloodborne” disease — meaning that it is transmitted by air, water, touch or via an inanimate object, not by contact with blood or other body fluids. Therefore you'll find hepatitis A listed in the next chapter with other communicable diseases.