What happened?
A farm team were discussing the upcoming toxoplasma vaccination and who would be involved. During the discussion, one of the team raised the risks involved to the people handling the vaccine including potential risks to female health. Often people think the risk is only during pregnancy, but the warning is wider and includes females of childbearing age because the live organism (Toxoplasma gondii) in the vaccine can cause abortions in humans. In response, the team re-organised to lower risk, and they completed the vaccination safely.
Live vaccine risk reminder
In addition to the lesser-known risk to females, live vaccines must be handled properly by everyone.
- Live vaccines pose serious health risks if handled incorrectly. Make sure everyone is trained in good vaccination technique for the appropriate type of livestock and equipment.
- Risk is not limited to pregnancy, females of child-bearing age are also at risk.
- People with weakened immune systems must not handle live vaccines.
- Reading the current, New Zealand Safety Data Sheet before use is essential.
- Accidental self-injection or contamination can cause severe illness and requires immediate medical attention.
- Good practice is to wear one glove on the hand that is not vaccinating, but closest to the vaccination site.
- Open team discussion helps surface risks early and enables safer task allocation.
- Slow down – the day is not a race.
