Safety and support

Safety during vaccination

Prior to vaccination, the person in charge or team leader must prepare a contingency plan that includes notification of local health personnel. We also advise you to establish contact with a doctor who has been briefed on the ‘self injection’ and who can act as a contact person for your staff and treating health personnel.

Secondly, you must always ensure that first aid equipment is readily available. 

Recommendations for manual Vaccination

• Provide proper training in the vaccination technique and first aid. This should also include the procedure that must be followed in the event of any accidental self-injection.
• Always use a needle-guard on the injector.
• You must wear appropriate protective gloves to ensure a firm grip on the fish and the injector. Additionally, we advise you to apply protective tape to areas that are at a higher risk of being pierced by the needle.
• Ensure that you have good lighting and a comfortable working position. Take regular breaks, and make sure that the rate at which you carry out vaccinations does not affect quality or safety.
• The fish must be properly anaesthetized. Most accidental self-injections are caused by fish that move.

Recommendations for Machine Vaccination

• Provide proper training in operating the machine as well as in first aid. This should also include the procedure that must be followed in the event of an accidental self-injection.
• Comply with all the precautions issued by the equipment manufacturer. This can reduce the risk of self-injection.
• Never interfere with the needle path while the machine is in operation.