Precautions against infectious diseases

IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY.

Clinical speech and language studies: As our overriding duty` of care is to the public with whom speech and language therapy students may be in close contact, we are obliged to ensure that reasonable and appropriate measures are taken not only to safeguard students and their colleagues, but also clients and members of the public. Students must produce a negative Hepatitis B s-Antigen (HBsAG) and Anti HB Core Antigen (Anti-HBc) test result carried out within six months prior to entry before being permitted to register for this course. In the case of a positive result from the above, a Hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAG) test with a negative result will be required before registration. International applicants are advised to undergo the HBsAg test in their home country and to forward the result to the relevant office as soon as possible thereafter. The College reserves the right to retest prior to admission. Prior to the first practice placement, students accepted on to the undergraduate programme, must be immunised against measles, rubella, tuberculosis and varicella unless immunity as a result of natural infection or previous vaccination has been documented. Some health service providers may require students to be screened for additional conditions, for example MRSA.

Dental science, Dental hygiene, Dental nursing, and Dental technology: All new entrants must attend their regular medical practitioner prior to registration to certify their vaccination status or immunity to tuberculosis, measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox. Registered students in Dental science, Dental hygiene, Dental nursing, and Dental technology must remain free of any life-threatening infectious condition that could be transmitted to a patient or fellow health worker. Such conditions could include but are not limited to; HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, tuberculosis, chickenpox, measles, mumps and rubella.

Students in Dental science and Dental hygiene must produce an acceptable hepatitis B virus infection result (i.e. negative HBsAg or in the presence of positive HBsAg, negative HBeAg and negative HBV-DNA) and a negative Hepatitis C antibody test (or if positive, a negative PCR test for hepatitis C RNA) carried out not more than six months prior to entry, before being permitted to register with the College. International students are advised to undergo testing in their home country and to forward the result to the Dental School as soon as possible thereafter. The College reserves the right to retest prior to admission.

Students admitted to the dental courses who are not already deemed to be immune to Hepatitis B will be required to undergo a course of vaccination. Details of vaccination programmes may be obtained on request from the Dental School.

Medicine: With regard to the transmission of infectious diseases, the School of Medicine at Trinity College Dublin strikes a balance between our pastoral responsibility to individual students applying for entry and our overriding duty of care to the public with whom medical students are in close contact. In this context, the School is obliged to ensure that reasonable and appropriate measures are taken not only to safeguard the students and their colleagues, but also the patients and members of the public. Details of the vaccination programmes and the blood borne viruses (BBV) policy for medical students are available at the Medical School office. The BBV policy for medical students is available on the School of Medicine website.

All health care professionals have a duty of care to the public. In the interests of reducing the risk of the transmission of infectious diseases from patients to students, or student to patient, all new entrants must attend their regular medical practitioner or the College Health Service prior to registration to certify their vaccination status or immunity to tuberculosis, measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox. In addition, students must produce evidence of their hepatitis B and C status and where appropriate confirmation that they do not have active disease. Students who are hepatitis B negative but not already deemed to be immune to hepatitis B will be required to undergo a course of vaccination. Details of specific investigations required and the vaccination programmes available are communicated to applicants as part of the admissions process (in the infectious diseases information booklet) and are available at all times in the Medical School office.

Nursing and Midwifery: Prior to the first practice placement, students on the pre-registration undergraduate Nursing and Midwifery programmes must be immunised against Hepatitis B, measles, rubella, tuberculosis and varicella unless immunity as a result of natural infection or previous vaccination has been documented. Screening (including medicals) and vaccination will be organised by the health service provider where the student will practice. Some health service providers may require students to

Occupational therapy: Students accepted on to the preregistration undergraduate Occupational therapy programme, prior to the first practice placement, must be immunised against Hepatitis B, measles, rubella, tuberculosis and varicella unless immunity as a result of natural infection or previous vaccination has been documented.

Physiotherapy: Students accepted on to the undergraduate Physiotherapy programme, prior to admission, must be immunised against Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, measles, rubella, tuberculosis and varicella unless immunity as a result of natural infection or previous vaccination has been documented. In the interests of reducing the risk of the transmission of infectious disease, all new entrants must attend Trinity College Health Service or their medical practitioner before they will be accepted to register for the course to certify their hepatitis status, vaccination status or immunity to, tuberculosis, measles, rubella and chickenpox.

Students in Physiotherapy must produce a negative Hepatitis B virus infection result (i.e. negative HBsAg or in the presence of a positive HBsAg, negative HBeAg and negative HBV-DNA where applicable) and a negative Hepatitis C antibody test (and if positive a negative PCR test for hepatitis C RNA) carried out not more than six months prior to entry. Students admitted to this course who have a negative Hepatitis B blood result but not already deemed to be immune to Hepatitis B will be required to undergo a course of vaccination. Overseas applicants are advised to undergo testing in their home country and to forward the result to the Discipline of Physiotherapy. Further information relating to vaccination requirements is available form the Discipline of Physiotherapy. All costs associated with tests for infectious diseases and vaccination must be met by the student.

General: Some health service providers may require students to be screened for additional conditions, for example MRSA, which will be completed at the clinical site. All costs associated with tests for infectious diseases and vaccination must be met by the student.

If Irish law or regulatory practice changes between the date of publication of this document and the date of registration for new entrants to these courses, Trinity College reserves the right to require that the criteria adopted by law and/or regulation in relation to the ability to practice clinically in Ireland be satisfied before registration is permitted.

Details of vaccination requirements will be provided to all incoming students, and full details of all requirements regarding precautions against infectious diseases

Clinical speech and language studies:
Department of Clinical Speech and Language Studies
Trinity College
Dublin 2
Tel: +353 1 896 1588

Dental science:
The Dental School Office
Lincoln Place
Trinity College
Dublin 2
Tel: +353 1 896 1789 / 1690

Medicine:
School of Medicine
Biomedical Sciences Institute
Trinity College
Dublin 2
Tel +353 1 896 1075

Nursing and Midwifery:
The Allocations Office
The School of Nursing and Midwifery
24 D’Olier Street
Dublin 2
Tel: +353 1 896 2031

Occupational therapy:
Discipline of Occupational therapy
Trinity Centre for Health Sciences
St. James’s Hospital
James’s Street
Dublin 8
Tel: +353 1 896 3210

Physiotherapy:
Department of Physiotherapy
Trinity Centre for Health Sciences
James’s Street
Dublin 8
Tel: +353 1 896 2110