[MCOH-EH] Occupational Exposures to HPV

[Tim Crump]

I suspect this is a question that has come up before, so apologies if I have missed previous communications.

Do people have thoughts on whether certain workers should be offered HPV vaccine.  The only info I can find on this is from Immunize.org, where they say:

Are healthcare personnel at risk of occupational infection with HPV?


Occupational infection with HPV is possible. Some HPV-associated conditions (including anogenital and oral warts, anogenital intraepithelial neoplasias, and recurrent respiratory papillomatosis) are treated with laser or electrosurgical procedures that could produce airborne particles. These procedures should be performed in an appropriately ventilated room using standard precautions and local exhaust ventilation. Workers in HPV research laboratories who handle wild-type virus or "quasi virions" might be at risk of acquiring HPV from occupational exposures. In the laboratory setting, proper infection control should be instituted including, at minimum, biosafety level 2. Whether HPV vaccination would be of benefit in these settings is unclear because no data exist on transmission risk or vaccine efficacy in this situation.


So it would seem that they are not advocating for vaccination for this reason.  Offering the vaccine seems to open the door to a lot of difficult questions: how would we get a list of all people who might be involved in these electrosurgical procedures?  Would we offer it to workers who fall outside the recommended age range?  With no data supporting its use, I could see some raised eyebrows in terms of cost.  Yet we do always say that we try to err on the side of caution in worker safety.  Have others reached reasoned conclusions on this topic that they are willing to share?  Thanks, Tim


Tim Crump, MSN, FNP
Tim Crump, MSN, FNP
Family Nurse Practitioner
Multnomah Pavilion 1 SE, Suite 1110
Occupational Health
Healthcare Human Resources

Oregon Health & Science University
3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd
Mail code: UHN 89
Portland, OR 97239-3098
Department Phone: 503-494-5271
Office Phone: 503-346-1152
Fax: 503-494-4457
Email: crumpt at ohsu.edu<mailto:crumpt at ohsu.edu>

Mon-Fri, 7:30-4:00

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