Hepatitis
B
To: All Applicants Holding
Offers For Medicine
Applicants for Medicine should
declare if they know they are infectious for any disease (particularly
tuberculosis or hepatitis B or C) and therefore might be a risk
to patients in medical practice. Further details regarding the definitions
of an infectious risk can be obtained on request.
It is important in the interests
of patient, student and staff safety that prospective medical students
must seek immunisation against hepatitis B virus before commencing
the course. Therefore, in accordance with nationally agreed guidelines,
the University requires all prospective medical students to provide
proof that they have successfully completed a full course of immunisation
against hepatitis B virus or, in the case of those who fail to respond
to the vaccine, that they are not infectious carriers of the virus.
The immunisation process can take up to nine months and applicants
are therefore advised to consult their General Practitioner about
this at the earliest opportunity.
The University will accept,
as documentary proof, an authenticated report from a
UK laboratory showing either the presence of hepatitis
B surface antibody or, if they have failed to produce antibody after
a full course of immunisation, that they are negative for hepatitis
B surface antigen and hepatitis B e antigen. Some people who are
hepatitis B surface antigen positive may be of low infectivity and
under certain circumstances may be able to pursue a medical course.
Individuals with questions about this should seek further advice.
Students later found to be of high infectivity may be unable to
complete the medical course and will be advised to transfer to an
alternative course.
Students who are unable to
produce a satisfactory certificate will have to undergo a course
of vaccinations and testing by the University Health Service.
Produced by: Cambridge Admissions
Office (December 2005), Fitzwilliam House, 32 Trumpington Street
, Cambridge CB2 1QY
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