Should Hepatitis B carriers be prevented from working with "vulnerable population"?

Hep B is acquired through blood transmition. Maybe you can catch it during the brith process, but I had not been aware of that. Now, you are talking about what is legal in terms of discrimination, is that from an American point of view? Because you are talking about China in your question.

I am pretty sure that I don’t agree with hep B people not being able to work with people who have disablities, because there should be no reason that blood would be around.

If there is a true health risk that I am not understanding, then I think itis fine to discriminate and not allow people who are infected to do certain types of jobs.

@JLeslie Hepatitis B is commonly transmitted at birth in Southeast Asian populations. Something like 90% of these people develop chronic hepatitis B.

@Rarebear I see. But still the danger would be transmitting by blood with these other populations. And, it does not really count as a congenital condition does it? I mean it is contagious isn’t it? Even if it is chronic.

I called the Canadian Liver Foundation, Hepatitis B is transmitted through blood, so unless i am dripping in blood, i dont know why I am not allowed to work with vulnerable population. Apparently, there is no clear legal answer on this question and I am speaking in the Canadian perspective. Private non charitable groups can probably discriminate certain people, just like rape relief centre might only allow women volunteers. Anyways, i am screwed, the only kind of work I feel like I can do, i am not allowed to.

@airowDee Oh, you are in Canada. I do find this rule surprising. I worked in a mental hospital and Hep B was not a concern. We were only tested for TB.

@JLeslie You’re correct, it’s still an infectious disease.

It seems to me that bloodborne pathogens shouldn’t be an issue if you follow universal precautions (gloves if there is potential blood contact, etc.) Frankly, caregivers should be doing that all the time anyway, even if they don’t have an illness like Hep B. Furthermore, by giving the “vulnerable populations” the hepatitis B vaccine, you almost eliminate the risk of transmission.

Is it Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C? There’s no vaccine available for Hep C.

I was thinking also that probably Canada vaccinates for Hep B like America and it should be less of an issue. And, why is this population more “vulnerable?” They are not immunocompromised. I don’t get it. Unless they have more likelihood of being violent, and possibly causing injury that my cause you to bleed.