Immunisation uses the body’s natural defense mechanism – the immune system – to build resistance to an infection. The vaccine contains inactive particles of the virus that are used to stimulate your body’s own immune response without causing you to contract the virus itself.

Working in certain occupations can increase your exposure and risk of contracting a vaccine-preventable disease. Many vaccine-preventable diseases are serious with the ability to cause lifelong complications. For example, hepatitis B can cause chronic infection that leads to ongoing complications whereas rubella can infect an unborn baby in the case a pregnant employee is infected. Infections such as these are highly contagious and have the ability to transmit between employees, their family, and the wider community.

Through the implementation of an occupational immunisation program, employers can reduce this risk to ensure employees are appropriately protected. Occupational vaccination is recommended for employees who:

• Are exposed to sewage, human tissue, body fluids or blood
• Work in healthcare, with animals, with children, in remote areas or in a laboratory
• Are carers or emergency and essential service personnel

• Laboratory personnel who work with pathogens or potentially infected tissues
• Emergency and essential services workers (such as police, emergency workers, staff of correctional facilities, detention and immigration centres, and armed forces personnel should consider vaccination for hepatitis B, influenza, MMR (if non-immune) and tetanus (as dT or dTpa).
• Armed forces personnel should also consider vaccination for meningococcal disease and other vaccines, as relevant to deployment.
• People who are exposed to human tissue, blood, or body fluids (such as funeral workers, tattooists, and body piercers) should consider vaccination for Hepatitis B.
• Plumbers or other people working with untreated sewage should consider vaccination for hepatitis A and tetanus (as dT or dTpa).
• People living with, or making frequent visits to remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, or Western Australia should consider vaccination for Hepatitis A.
• People who work with animals should be up to date with routinely recommended vaccines for adults, such as dT-containing and MMR vaccines.
• Healthcare workers should be up to date with routinely recommended vaccines for adults, such as dT (diphtheria-tetanus)–containing and MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccines. hepatitis B, influenza, pertussis (dTpa [diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis]) and varicella (if non-immune )
• Childhood education or carers should be up to date with routinely recommended vaccines for adults, such as dT-containing and MMR vaccines, influenza, varicella, Hepatitis A.
• People working in the outer Torres Strait islands for at least 30 days during the wet season should consider vaccination for Japanese encephalitis.

Hepatitis  A

Hepatitis  B

Measles, Mumps and Rubella – MMR

Tetanus, Diptheria, Pertussis (Whooping cough) – DTPa

Chicken Pox – Varicella

Japanese Encephalitis

Whooping Cough – Pertussis Booster

Your Medicare number and the reference number next to your name is required to upload evidence of your vaccination to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). When you need to access a record of your vaccination, you can access it from the MyGov website. Your doctor will also be able to see that you have been vaccinated.

The AIR is a national register to record your vaccination history. HCA are a recognised vaccination provider in Australia, and our online booking system directly links to the AIR

The appointment will take approximately 5 minutes. This may change slightly depending on the number of vaccinations you will be receiving. You will need to have your arm ready for vaccination by removing your jacket or jumper. The nurse will ask some questions to ensure it is safe for you to have the vaccines. The nurse will administer the vaccine and cover the injection site with a dry cotton wool ball and hypo-allergenic tape as needed. Please note, gentle pressure will be applied to the site and then the cotton ball can be removed so that the injection site is exposed to the air. The nurse will give you vaccination after-care advice. You will need to remain near the vaccination area for 15 minutes after immunisation.

Vaccinations are generally well tolerated. However, it is important to stay close by for 15 minutes so that the vaccination nurse can provide rapid medical care if needed (e.g., if you experience an adverse reaction to the vaccine). Alert the nurse immediately if you feel unwell within 15 minutes of your vaccination. Do not hesitate to report back to the nurse if you feel unwell at any other time.  If the nurse has left your worksite, report immediately to your workplace first-aid officer.

As with all medicines, vaccines may produce some mild side effects. These generally appear within 24 – 48 hours and usually resolve quickly and without any treatment. Some common side effects may include A reaction around the injection site such as tenderness, bruising, redness, warmth, pain, swelling or the formation of a hard lump. These symptoms are most likely your body’s natural response to the vaccine and are mild and short-lasting. See your GP or pharmacist if you are concerned about your symptoms, they get worse or don’t go away after a few days.