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Occupational health of health-care workers
Health-care workers are exposed to infections, back injuries, violence and burnout, and can also infect patients – so the hospital's occupational health service vaccinates, screens at hiring, manages exposures and decides on temporary work restrictions for a worker who may be infectious.
Why it matters in the exam
Items on this topic ask which vaccines are required for health workers and health-profession students under the Ministry of Health circular: hepatitis B with an antibody test (anti-HBs) after the series, measles-mumps-rubella (two doses or proof of immunity), varicella, influenza every year and pertussis. Other items ask about tuberculosis screening at hiring (a tuberculin skin test or an IGRA) and after exposure, and treatment of latent tuberculosis. Work restrictions are also tested: an unvaccinated worker exposed to varicella is kept away from patient contact during the possible incubation period, a worker with infectious diarrhoea or open lesions on the hands does not care directly for patients until recovery, and a worker who carries a bloodborne virus and performs exposure-prone invasive procedures is assessed by an expert panel according to viral load rather than automatically excluded. Beyond infections, other hazards are tested: back injuries in patient transfer, violence in emergency and mental health departments, shift work, and burnout. Remember that staff influenza vaccination also protects vulnerable patients, and that the worker's medical confidentiality is kept even when his work is temporarily restricted.
Key points
- Health workers need hepatitis B vaccination with an antibody test, immunity to measles and varicella, and annual influenza vaccination.
- Tuberculosis screening at hiring and after exposure.
- A worker who may be infectious is temporarily restricted according to the disease.
- A carrier of a bloodborne virus is assessed by an expert panel and not automatically excluded.
- Health workers are also exposed to back injuries, violence and burnout.
Summary table
| Topic | What is required | Exam point |
|---|---|---|
| Hepatitis B | A vaccine series followed by an anti-HBs test | A level of at least 10 units indicates protection |
| Measles-mumps-rubella and varicella | Two doses or proof of immunity | An unvaccinated exposed worker is kept away from patient contact during the incubation period |
| Influenza | Annual vaccination | Also protects patients |
| Tuberculosis | Screening at hiring and after exposure | Treat latent tuberculosis when found |
| A worker who may be infectious | Temporary restriction according to the disease | Infectious diarrhoea, open lesions on the hands, acute respiratory infection |
| Carrier of a bloodborne virus | Expert panel assessment for exposure-prone procedures | Not automatic exclusion |
A free exam question
בשנת 2020 נכתבה תוספת לחוזר מנכ"ל משרד הבריאות בדבר חיסון עובדי בריאות ( 2016 ) , המסדירה את הנהלים בדבר חיסוני קורונה ל עובדים חדשים?. מה מנחה התוספת (the question as examined, in Hebrew)
- א. לא יתקבל לעבודה במוסד רפואי עובד חדש, המסרב להתחסן
- ב. עובד חדש, המסרב להתחסן, יצהיר על סירובו ויתעד אותו בחתימה על טופס סירוב
- ג. עובד חדש, שלא חוסן, לא יעבוד עם חולים במצב של דיכוי חיסוני
- ד. לא ניתן להגביל עבודה של עובד חדש, גם אם לא חוסן
In the full version for subscribers
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Sources
- CDC, Immunization of Health-Care Personnel: recommendations of the ACIP, 2011 — MMWR Recommendations and Reports
- CDC, Infection control in healthcare personnel: infrastructure and routine practices, 2019 — Occupational health services; Work restrictions
- Israel Ministry of Health, Director-General circulars on vaccination of health workers and students, current — Required vaccines and serology
Sources are given for further reading; the text is written afresh and not copied from them.
Reviewed by the Examqo AI Professor · 2026-11-06. The text may contain errors; when in doubt, check the source.