There has been an outbreak of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in health care settings, due to a previously undiscovered pandemic strain. This new strain has resulted in serious health risks for healthcare workers. In these health care settings, there is a great need for educated decisions regarding the use of a vaccine that may protect against infection. As more healthcare workers are exposed to this virus regularly, there is a need to study and evaluate this new issue and its effect on the health and safety of healthcare workers. Based on the current information, it is clear that some healthcare workers are not getting cold vaccines for family members of workers currently vaccinated.

The Healthcare Workers

The previously untrained guesswork was that if the virus was not circulating, then the healthcare workers would be protected. That guesswork has now been invalidated. Based on the current outbreak and historical information, we now know that some healthcare workers are not getting the vaccine or are not getting enough of the vaccine to prevent serious illness or even death. One of the questions that should be addressed is why these workers are not getting the vaccine.

There Are Many Possible Causes

Some studies have shown that healthcare workers with immune suppression caused by illness or a disease other than HIV/AIDS are at increased risk for infection. Other causes include genetics, exposure to insecticides and chemotherapy drugs, exposure to toxins, and stress. The immune suppression can affect the cells that control the virus, making …