Build Immunity & A Better Agency
Chapter 4 of 'From Healthy Aides to Healthier Agency'
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What are communicable diseases?
A communicable disease is one that is spread from one person to another through a variety of ways that include: contact with blood and bodily fluids; breathing in an airborne virus; or by being bitten by an insect. The most common communicable diseases that home care workers can be exposed to are: measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, and influenza.
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What is a vaccine?
A vaccine is a substance that creates immunity against certain viral infections without causing the human body to catch the disease itself. Their job is to boost the body’s own antibodies to combat the virus when present in the body. Most children are vaccinated at a young age, but different policies may lead to adults without vaccinations against common deadly diseases.
Vaccines contain some weakened or dead viruses that introduce antigens into the body that causes the body to react and fight the foreign antigens. This process teaches the body how to combat the virus the next time it is introduced, effectively making the person immune.
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What is a titer?
An antibody titer is a laboratory test that measures how many antibodies are in a blood sample. The level of antibodies helps determine a person’s immunity level. If the amount crosses a certain threshold, then the person is immune to the specific antigen (or virus), but if not, then they are at risk of contracting the disease.
For most adults who need to prove immunity for school or work, employers request a titer exam. Although vaccines are reliable at immunizations, only a titer exam can accurately report on immunity.
It is recommended to get a titer to insure proper immunity before vaccinating.
Don’t you get most of these diseases as a child?
No, it’s not likely that someone will have experienced all these disease during childhood which is why you’ll want to make sure your home care workers get a titer to officially document their immunization.
Vaccines and titers are an important component of protecting against communicable diseases. In some environments such as health sensitive workplaces, preventing the spread of certain diseases is extremely important and often required by law.
To prevent redundant or unnecessary vaccination, 
it’s recommended that individuals get an antibody titer blood test to check for immunity before receiving a vaccination. Once your home care workers have received their titers and/or vaccines they will not be required to get vaccinated again.
Unlike TB tests, immunization from communicable diseases only happen once and are often not repeated again making the investment even more enticing. Sometimes, however, depending on when the immunization was given, its efficiency can wear with time. That’s why it’s always important to get titer to double check.
