Department of Clinical Speech and Language Studies
Trinity College Dublin
7 – 9 South Leinster Street
Dublin 2
PROTECTION AGAINST INFECTIOUS DISEASES
INFORMATION FOR NEW ENTRANTS 2016 – 2017
The following information is very important. Please read carefully.
PRIOR TO REGISTRATION
Before being permitted to register, students in Clinical Speech & Language Studies (CSLS) must
produce a negative Hepatitis B s Antigen (HBsAG), Anti HB Core Antigen (Anti-HBc) and Hepatitis C
antibody test results, carried out in a centre acceptable to CSLS. In the case of a positive result from
the above, a Hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAG) test and a PCR test for hepatitis C RNA with a negative
result will be required before a student may register.
The Department will only accept an original test result from a recognised medical establishment,
stamped and authorised by a qualified official and carried out not more than six months prior to
entry. The Department reserves the right in all cases to require a confirmatory test in a testing
centre of its own choosing. Overseas applicants are advised to undergo testing in their home
country and to forward the result directly to the above address.
WHAT TO DO
As soon as you receive the offer of a place in Clinical Speech and Language Studies you MUST

Make appointment with GP or local health centre to have your bloods screened for infectivity
with Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C (and other tests if applicable) as specified on Form B
(Immunisation Record Form).

Give your Doctor a copy of
o
Letter 1 (for students resident in Ireland) or Letter 2 (for students not resident in Ireland)
o
Form A (Consent Form) which must be completed and signed by you
o
Form B (Immunisation Record Form) which your GP will complete on your behalf.
Your Doctor should then return Forms A and B along with original laboratory results as soon as
available.
You will not be permitted to register until all required documentation has been received by this
Department and has been reviewed and signed-off by College Health. This means that you will not
be issued with a student card and so cannot access the library and computer facilities of the College.
If you have any queries regarding these matters please contact the department at 353 1 896 1588,
or by email to Sarah Ryan at [email protected]
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General Information on Vaccination recommendations
Students entering Clinical Speech and Language Studies will inevitably be exposed to patients who carry
potentially serious infectious diseases. Where vaccines are required, it is College’s policy to make them
available to students who have not yet received them as part of the National Vaccination Programme.
Many people receive vaccinations in Ireland during childhood under The National Vaccination Programme.
For those entrants who do not have a complete vaccination record, it is strongly recommended that you
be vaccinated against those diseases to which you are not immune, before you start the clinical years of
your course. The Student Health Service offers vaccination to students. It is recommended that all
entrants complete vaccinations against Poliomyelitis, Diphtheria and Tetanus. It is also recommended that
you discuss with your Doctor the advisability of undertaking Mumps, Measles, Rubella, Chicken Pox and
Meningitis C vaccinations.

Tuberculosis (TB)
Many people are vaccinated (BCG) against TB during childhood as part of The National Vaccination
Programme, but this is not universal. CSLS regulations require that all entrants be screened for immunity
to TB. Where possible we recommend that this be done before you enter the course. If required,
vaccination can be arranged through the Student Health Services before commencing clinical work.
Anyone found to have active infection will be immediately referred for treatment and will not be
permitted to proceed with their course until it is established by the attending physician that they are no
longer infectious.

Hepatitis B (Hep B)
The Irish National Vaccination Committee recommends that health care workers be immunised against
Hepatitis B. (Please see RCPI National Immunisation GUIDELINES 2002: Chapter 18: Immunisation and
Health Information for Health Care Workers and Others in ‘At Risk’ Occupations
http://www.immunisation.ie/en/HealthcareProfessionals/ImmunisationGuidelines2008/). A course of
vaccinations normally consists of three or four injections over a period of time. In some cases booster
doses are required. If required, vaccination will be arranged through the Student Health Services during
the first academic year. Following registration and before commencing clinical contact with patients all
students must either (1) demonstrate immunity to Hepatitis B to the satisfaction of the department, or (2)
undergo a course of vaccinations. To demonstrate immunity students will be required to undergo a
seroconversion test to determine the effectiveness of their immunity. Depending on the result of this test
the department may require students to undergo a series of booster vaccinations.
Indicative Costs
The following are approximate costs for the academic year 2015-2016. Students should note these costs
are indicative only and subject to change at short notice.
Hepatitis B vaccinations
€110 for 3 / or €40 each
Mantoux test (TB)
€20
ALL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH HEPATITIS B and C TESTS, VACCINATIONS ETC MUST BE MET BY THE
STUDENT.
Cross Infection in the Clinical Environment
It is incumbent on students to make themselves aware of, and adhere strictly to, each hospital’s written
protocols for the control of cross infection when they enter the clinical environment. This is to protect
both students and patients, since vaccines for some of the more recently discovered diseases (e.g.
Hepatitis C and HIV) have not yet been developed.
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CHECK LISTS
For students resident in Ireland

Print Letter 1; Form A; Form B

Make appointment with your GP or local Health Centre to have your blood screened for
Hepatitis B (tests specified on Letter 1).

Sign Form A and give to your Doctor along with Letter 1 and Form B.

Doctor (GP) to send blood samples to your regional or national virus reference laboratory

Doctor (GP) to complete Form B (Immunisation Record Form) and return to address below
together with Form A (consent form) and official laboratory results.

College Doctor reviews student records and signs-off

Student registers
For students non resident in Ireland

Print Letter 2; Form A; Form B

Make appointment with your GP or local Health Centre to have your blood screened for
Hepatitis B (tests specified on Letter 2).

Sign Form A and give to your Doctor along with Letter 1 and Form B.

Doctor (GP) to send blood samples to your regional or national virus reference laboratory

Doctor (GP) to complete Form B (Immunisation Record Form) and return to address below
together with Form A (consent form) and official laboratory results.

College Doctor reviews student records and signs-off

Student registers

COMPLETED FORMS TO BE RETURNED TO
Irene P. Walsh, Ph.D.,
Head of Discipline,
Clinical Speech & Language Studies,
7-9 South Leinster Street,
Dublin 2.
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LETTER 1
Prospective student is RESIDENT in Ireland (including Northern Ireland)
Department of Clinical Speech and
Language Studies
Trinity College Dublin
7 – 9 South Leinster Street
Dublin 2
Dear Doctor
The prospective student presenting this letter has been offered a place in Trinity College to read for
the degree programme in the Department of Clinical Speech and Language Studies. This offer is
contingent on a negative test results for Hepatitis B s Antigen (HBsAG), Anti HB Core Antigen (AntiHBc) and Hepatitis C antibody, being submitted to the Head of Department by the 16th September
2016.
We would be most grateful if you would screen your patient for the Hepatitis B s Antigen (HBsAG),
Anti HB Core Antigen (Anti-HBc) and Hepatitis C antibody.
The designated testing centres for Trinity College in Ireland are as follows (but you may use your
regional laboratory if more convenient).
Northern Ireland
The Regional Virus
Laboratory
Royal Victoria Hospital
Grosvenor Hospital
Belfast BT12 6BN
Tel: +44 (0) 28 9063 2662
Virus Reference
Laboratory
University College
Dublin
Belfield, Dublin 4
Republic of Ireland
Department of Clinical
Microbiology
Central Pathology
Laboratory
St James’s Hospital
Dublin 8
Tel: 01 - 416 2967
+44
Please note that responsibility for payment rests with your patient.
You should then complete the enclosed student immunisation record form (FORM D) and return it,
together with the official laboratory result and the signed student consent form (FORM C) for my
attention at the above address.
Thank you for your co-operation in this matter.
Irene P. Walsh PhD.
Head of Discipline
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LETTER 2
Prospective student is NOT RESIDENT in Ireland
Department of Clinical Speech and Language Studies
Trinity College Dublin
7 – 9 South Leinster Street
Dublin 2
Dear Doctor
The prospective student presenting this letter has been offered a place in Trinity College to read
for the degree programme in the Department of Clinical Speech and Language Studies. This offer
is contingent on a negative test results for Hepatitis B s Antigen (HBsAG), Anti HB Core Antigen
(Anti-HBc) and Hepatitis C antibody, being submitted to the Head of Department by the 16th
September 2016.
We would be most grateful if you would screen your patient for the Hepatitis B s Antigen
(HBsAG), Anti HB Core Antigen (Anti-HBc) and Hepatitis C antibody.
Please obtain a blood sample from the prospective student who has been offered a place at
Trinity College and send this to your regional or national virus reference laboratory requesting
that it be screened for the HBsAG marker and anti-Hepatitis B core antigen marker. In the case of
a positive result on the above a follow-up Hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAG) test will be required.
You should then complete the enclosed student immunisation record form (FORM D) and return
it, together with the official laboratory result and the signed student consent form (FORM C) for
my attention at the above address.
Please note that this information must reach me by the 16th September 2016 or the prospective
student will not be permitted to register. Responsibility for payment for these tests rests with
your patient.
Thank you for your co-operation in this matter.
Irene P. Walsh PhD.
Head of Discipline
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FORM A
STUDENT CONSENT FORM
Department of Clinical Speech and Language Studies
Trinity College Dublin
7 – 9 South Leinster Street
Dublin 2
Student Name
(BLOCK CAPITALS ONLY)
(Surname)
(First Name)
TCD Student Number
Date of Birth
Postal Address – while at Trinity
College
I hereby consent to the results of my Hepatitis B s Antigen (HBsAG), Anti HB Core Antigen (Anti-HBc) and Hepatitis
C blood tests being sent directly to the Head of Department, Clinical Speech and Language Studies, Trinity College,
Dublin 2.
I also consent to the original documentation being held on the confidential Hepatitis B – C database of the
Department of Clinical Speech & Language Studies and transferred to the Trinity College Student Health Service for
safekeeping after entry, where it will be held as part of my confidential medical file and may be consulted by me on
request.
Signed:
Date:
(Prospective student)
To the Doctor:
Please return this letter with the student immunisation form and the official laboratory result directly to Head of
Department, Department of Clinical Speech and Language Studies, Trinity College, Dublin 2, by 16th September
2015.
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FORM B (page 1 of 3)
STUDENT IMMUNISATION RECORD
Department of Clinical Speech and Language Studies
Trinity College Dublin
7 – 9 South Leinster Street
Dublin 2
NOTE TO GP
Please complete this form, sign and stamp it and return to Department of Clinical
Speech and Language Studies, 7–9 South Leinster Street, Trinity College, Dublin 2
along with the original Labatory reports. Do not retain this form.
Please complete this form using BLOCK CAPITALS only.
Students Name:
(Surname) _____________________________________________________
(First Name) ___________________________________________________
TCD student Number
Address: _____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Student contact Telephone No: _________________________________________________________
Date of Birth: (DD MM YYYY)
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FORM B (page 2 of 3)
HEPATITIS B Status – Documentation required
Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAG)
Date: (DD MM YYYY)
Result:
Anti HB Core Antibody (Anti-HBc)
Date: (DD MM YYYY)
Result:
Hepatitis B Vaccine (ONLY if previously administered) Documentation required
Dose 1:
Date: (DD MM YYYY)
Dose 2:
Date: (DD MM YYYY)
Dose 3:
Date: (DD MM YYYY)
Latest test result of Hepatitis B immunity (HBsAB) HBsAB
Date: (DD MM YYYY)
Result:
Hepatitis C Antibodies (Documentation Required)
Date: (DD MM YYYY)
Result:
Proof of Immunity to Tuberculosis
BCG SCAR Present?
YES
NO
MANTOUX / TUBERCULIN SKIN TEST
Date: (DD MM YYYY)
Result:
If positive skin test but no history of BCG CHEST X RAY
Date: (DD MM YYYY)
Result:
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FORM B (page 3 of 3)
Proof of Immunity to Measles, Mumps and Rubella
Students are required to have had 2 MMR Vaccines or evidence of immunity
1. Measles Vaccine:
Date: (DD MM YYYY)
OR TITRE
2. Measles Vaccine:
Date: (DD MM YYYY)
OR TITRE
1. Mumps Vaccine:
Date: (DD MM YYYY)
OR TITRE
2. Mumps Vaccine:
Date: (DD MM YYYY)
OR TITRE
1. Rubella Vaccine:
Date: (DD MM YYYY)
OR TITRE
2. Rubella Vaccine
Date: (DD MM YYYY)
OR TITRE
Is there a clinical history of Varicella-Zoster virus infection (Chicken pox)?
YES / NO
Has the potential student been vaccinated against VZV (Chicken pox)?
YES/NO
Date: (DD MM YYYY)
OR TITRE
DOCTOR DETAILS
Doctor’s Name (Block Capitals Only)
Official Stamp of GP
Address:
Doctor’s Signature:
Date:
Contact Number:
FOR COLLEGE USE ONLY
STUDENT IS PERMITTED TO REGISTER:
College Stamp
YES
NO
SIGNED:
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