Staff Immunization and Infectious/Communicable Diseases

File: GBEC

The board strongly urges school staff members, including volunteers, provide evidence of immunity against tetanus-diphtheria (TD) and measles, mumps and rubella (MMR). Staff members over thirty years of age need not provide evidence of immunity to measles; these individuals are considered naturally immune (to measles only).

In the event of an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease in school, the local public health officer has the authority to exclude from work a susceptible staff member who has not filed an immunization record with the district. Exemptions granted for religious or medical reasons or those without an acceptable immunization record on file may be excluded by the health department, as these staff are considered susceptible.

A staff member who has contracted a medically-diagnosed infectious/ communicable disease as listed in the current SPI Infectious Disease Control Guide may be excluded from school by order of the local public health officer. If the staff member has not been excluded from school by order of the local public health officer, he/she will be allowed to remain in his/her current position of employment unless he/she is physically and/or mentally unable to perform the duties of the job.

If the staff member is unable to continue in the current position because of his/her health, reasonable accommodations will be made. Accommodation is not reasonable if it poses undue financial or administrative burdens or fundamentally alters the job. If reasonable accommodation cannot be made, the employee may be excluded from work because his/her physical condition interferes with the performance of regular duties.

The board also authorizes the superintendent or his/her designee to provide training to all district employees regarding bloodborne pathogens as required in accordance with current Washington Industrial Safety & Health Act (WISHA) and Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA) standards.


Adopted:
01/03/89

Revised:
05/07/90
10/04/93

LEGAL REFS.:
RCW 70.24.105
RCW 70.24.290
WAC 246-100
WAC 246-110
WAC 392-198

CROSS REF.:
Communicable Diseases (JHCC & JHCC-R)

An elementary school principal and three teachers work together in a classroom