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HIV/HBV
It is the policy of KCU to comply with the federal Rehabilitation Act and all other state and federal statutes pertaining to communicable diseases. It is the intent of this policy to protect those students and employees who have contracted human immunodeficieny virus (HIV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV) and to protect students, employees and patients from avoidable exposure to HIV or HBV.
HIV/HBV Procedures
Students must advise their supervisor (vice dean of the medical school) if they are HIV and/or Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive;
The University will adhere to the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These recommendations are:
- All students should adhere to universal precautions, including the appropriate use of hand washing, protective barriers and care in the use and disposal of needles and other sharp instruments. Students who have exudative lesions or weeping dermatitis should refrain from all direct patient care and from handling patient care equipment and devices used in performing invasive procedures until the condition resolves. Students should also comply with current guidelines for disinfection and sterilization of reusable devices used in invasive procedures. To facilitate the use of universal precautions, the University will provide training in this area to its students.
- Currently available data provide no basis for recommendation to restrict the practice of students infected with HIV or HBV who perform invasive procedures not identified as exposure-prone, provided the infected students practice recommended surgical or dental techniques and comply with universal precautions and current recommendations for sterilization and disinfection.
- Students who perform exposure-prone procedures should know their HIV and HBV antibody status. Students who perform exposure-prone procedures and who do not have serologic evidence of immunity to HBV from vaccination or from previous infection should know their HBsAg status and, if positive, should also know their HBeAg status. To facilitate this, the University will provide names and locations of facilities in Kansas City where anonymous testing can be done at the student’s expense. KCU encourages all students to be tested periodically.
- Students who are infected with HIV or HBV (and are HBeAg positive) should not perform exposure-prone procedures unless they have sought counsel from an expert review panel and have been advised under what circumstances, if any, they may continue to perform these procedures. Such circumstances would include notifying prospective contacts of the student’s seropositivity before they undergo or participate in exposure-prone invasive procedures.
- The confidentiality of the infected student will be protected by KCU and the student’s supervisor to the extent that such confidentiality does not unnecessarily expose others to either HIV or HBV.
- Contraction of HIV or HBV shall not constitute grounds for termination of employment, dismissal from school or other punitive actions.
- Changes in work stations, reassignment of responsibilities and other measures may be taken in an effort to protect the infected employee or student, as well as uninfected coworkers and patients. The program of academic study may be modified for the infected student to permit those educational experiences that do not unnecessarily expose patients or other students to HIV or HBV. Decisions regarding such modifications will be made by a review panel in consultation with the student. The review panel may forward recommendations for significant modification of the academic program to the COM-SPC. The student’s name will not be disclosed to the members of COM-SPC. COM-SPC may consider whether the proposed significant modifications will permit the student to fulfill the academic requirements of the University;
- After all reasonable accommodations have been made (including adjustments in work, location and reassignment of duties and responsibilities, or modification of academic program), any student who is incapable or ineligible to perform his/her responsibilities may be subject to termination of employment or dismissal. Similarly, after reasonable modifications of the academic program, infected students who are unable to fulfill the requirements for graduation may be subject to dismissal.
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A vaccine is not routinely recommended for students at KCU because Missouri is considered a state that has a low average annual incidence of Hepatitis A. Students who belong to at-risk groups, however, should be vaccinated. This includes those who travel to an endemic area, have identified risk factors and have chronic liver disease.
Hepatitis B
University policy mandates that all osteopathic and biomedical sciences students must provide evidence that they have completed or have initiated the vaccination series for Hepatitis B vaccine before they begin school. They must also provide the University with results of their postvaccination test/titer following completion of the Hepatitis B series. According to recommendations, the post-vaccination test/titer should be completed one to two months following the third vaccine dose; students who received the vaccine series in the past must provide the quantitative results of a post-vaccination test/ titer to the University before they can begin any research laboratory or clinical experience.
If no antibody is detected, another series of three vaccinations should be given and the test repeated in one month. Once a positive antibody test is documented, no further testing or vaccinations are required. A person that does not respond after a second three-dose series should be considered a non-responder and susceptible to HBV infection.
Meningitis
The meningitis vaccine from within the last five years is required of all KCU students.
Additional Vaccination Information for Students
Medical students entering first-year classes who are not current on their immunizations and/or do not provide an official KCU immunization record form, completed and signed by an authorized health official, will not be allowed to matriculate. KCU students are responsible to maintain a current and thoroughly documented official record of immunizations at all times. Students who cannot provide official, up-to-date immunization records in accordance with University guidelines will not be allowed to continue their education.
Medical students enrolling at the University are required to complete an immunization form submitted to SentryMD for verification. Items to be completed include, but are not limited to, proof of immunization for poliomyelitis, rubella, rubeola, mumps, varicella and diphtheria/tetanus as well as serological tests showing an immunity to MMR, Varicella, and Hepatitis B.
TB Testing
Before matriculating, a student must also provide the results of a tuberculosis (TB) test demonstrating a negative PPD-TB test or proof of completion of INH therapy. If a positive TB skin test was documented, one or more of the following must be provided for verification and review:
- A TB blood test that verifies a negative result.
- Documentation of the completion of successful INH therapy.
Influenza
KCU students are entering the health professions. As part of their education, from time to time they will come into contact with vulnerable populations who may be at risk for infectious disease. Because of this, all KCU students are required to be immunized annually for influenza.
OMS-III & OMS-IV
A student who cannot provide an official up-to-date immunization record, in accordance with University requirements, will not be allowed to begin or continue with clinical training and will be referred to the appropriate University official for disciplinary action.
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