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Special ReportFree PreviewArchive

Keeping Health-Care Workers Healthy — Legal Aspects of Hepatitis B Immunization Programs

List of authors.
  • Constance H. Baker, J.D.,
  • and J. Michael Brennan, J.D.

Exposure to the hepatitis B virus constitutes a serious occupational hazard to many health-care workers. The risk that health-care workers will contract hepatitis B from the patients they seek to heal is far greater than the risk that patients will become infected by health-care workers. Consequently, within health-care institutions hepatitis B virus infection is predominantly an issue of worker health, not patient care.From a legal perspective, the hepatitis B virus possesses a number of characteristics that present unique liability issues. Infection from this virus is largely unidentified and often silent.1 It is persistent in the carrier state,1 , 2 it can . . .

Funding and Disclosures

In accordance with the Journal's policy, the authors have provided the following Information: The research for this report was partially supported by a grant from Merck Sharp and Dohme. Various attorneys in the law firm of Venable, Baetjer and Howard occasionally serve as legal consultants to Merck Sharp and Dohme.

We are indebted to Sidney D. Kreider, M.D., M.P.H., and W. Robert Lange, M.D., M.P.H., of the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions for assistance.

This article is not intended to provide specific legal advice but to summarize general principles of law. For specific legal advice, an attorney should be consulted.

Author Affiliations

Venable, Baetjer and Howard 2 Hopkins Plaza Baltimore, MD 21201

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