Teachers no longer required to have TB jab

TEACHERS are no longer required to be vaccinated against tuberculosis (TB), following the advice of the chief medical officer for the public service.

The move changes a policy under which any new teacher beginning work in the country’s 4,000 primary and second-level schools who was not already vaccinated against TB was required to do so before being eligible to go on the Department of Education payroll.

In a letter issued to all schools, department officials told boards of management that Education Minister Mary Hanafin has been advised by the chief medical officer for the civil service Dr Tom O’Connell that the general requirement for teachers to receive TB vaccination — if they are not already immunised — no longer stands.