Vaccination for people at occupational risk

Laboratory personnel who work with pathogens or potentially infected tissues should consider vaccination against that pathogen. Emergency and essential services workers (such as police and emergency workers, staff of correctional facilities and 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 embalmers, 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 working in the outer Torres Strait islands for at least 30 days during the wet season should consider vaccination for Japanese encephalitis. 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. See the Australian Immunisation Handbook for more details.